Referring to Iran’s response to the U.S. attack with 14 30,000-ton bunker-buster bombs and 30 Tomahawk missiles on a U.S. base in Qatar, Trump commented: “The Iranians were very nice. They warned us before attacking the military base…. Okay, I told them yes….” At the same time, in an unprecedented move in almost 80 years, Trump harshly criticized Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu for breaking the ceasefire.
Referring to both countries, he lashed out: “You have no fucking idea what you’re doing.”
Donald Trump didn’t negotiate the ceasefire, but rather ordered it, which he did knowing that Iran wanted it as much as the Israeli population, while Netanyahu and the Jewish hawkish high command had to obey, lest the United States withdraw the ladder.
This is the same recipe he has tried to apply in Ukraine: negotiate with Russia, without considering Ukraine because, for him, Zelensky doesn’t count, nor do the fate of Donbass, Crimea or the future of that country. Some believe he’s also not worried about the war dragging on and keeping Russia occupied.
It’s imperial power in its practical form, exercised brutally, against both adversaries and allies. It’s “America first,” and then, America.
In response to the statement by Rafael Grossi, director of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency, that “Iran is the only non-nuclear country that secretly produces uranium enriched to levels close to weapons-grade…,” Israel, which had been preparing for this moment for years, decided to attack Iran’s nuclear program facilities with all available means.
Trump didn’t give the order; instead, he turned on the green light and looked the other way.
Iran’s response, brave and decisive, was effective in decisively damaging Israel, but not in defending its territory and preventing Israeli bombing. Meanwhile, Israel could have struck all the facilities except Natanz, Fordow or Isfahan, protected by impenetrable geological shields reinforced with steel and concrete, where the uranium was allegedly enriched and stored, and the facilities and equipment for its production were protected.
Under such circumstances, Israel turned to the United States, which allegedly had the necessary means — bombs, planes and missiles — to accomplish such a mission.
That was Trump’s order and with it the objectives related to neutralizing Iran’s nuclear program could be considered accomplished.
In his words, Trump is not interested in regime change in Iran or the destruction of the country. For him, regime change leads to chaos…the Iranians are very good traders, very good businessmen, and they have a lot of oil…they should be fine, they should be able to rebuild and do a good job…a nuclear weapon is the least of their worries right now.
The twelve days between Israel’s devastating attack on Iran and the moment the U.S. president ordered a ceasefire will remain a parenthesis.
The only certainty regarding that episode, which ended as suddenly as it began, is that we will never know what really happened.
In any case, the guns fell silent among them, although they continue their macabre roar in Gaza and Ukraine, where Trump once again has the say and, perhaps, the influence to impose peace.
He’s right about one thing: war is bad business. See you there.
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*This text was originally published in the newspaper ¡Por esto! It is reproduced with the express permission of its author.
