I wrote pages last night with utmost neutrality on the Israel-Iran conflict. And failed. How can I be neutral if the whole world isn’t? You cannot show me a single opinion on this specific issue where impartiality sails. The real question is—why?
As I type this, US President Donald Trump is sitting in the Oval, after addressing the whole country, saying, “Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success,” and taking the ‘war’ to a whole new dimension. Just a day ago, the US gave a two-week timeframe to Iran for diplomatic negotiations, and we all thought there was some progress towards a peaceful outcome.
The titular president also added, “There will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,” expecting that after their attack on three prime nuclear enrichment facilities (Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan) Iran would cooperate. In response to the US’s attack, its soulmate, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu commented that US attacks create a ‘pivot of history’. Now, as these developments are going on, with speculation of what might happen next, I want to draw your attention to what’s really happening beyond the headlines.
On 13th June, when Iran was attacked by Israelis, backed by their Orwellian euphemism “right to defend itself”, Mumtahina Khatun, a Bangladeshi student studying at Al-Zahra University in Iran, was sleeping in her dorm. As she narrated her horrific story of how the missiles changed the course of the lives of the people, she mentioned how fond she was of Tehran just a day prior to the imperialist destruction. But now, thousands of miles away from home in a country under the threat of so-called “right to defend itself” and their allies, she is scared and flees from the campus to a border area near Turkey, planning to return when it is safe. This is one such fragment of the millions of sufferers who are mere civilians and have nothing to do with anything. However, with the active mass genocide going on in Gaza, stories like this of Mumtahina barely resonate as we go on saying, At least she is alive!
When such injustice has persisted for years, the UN chief Antonio Guterres describes last night’s US attacks on Iran as a “dangerous escalation”, warning that the conflict in the Middle East could quickly get “out of control”, but is this not already out of control? Is this not high time we ask: where is Mumtahina’s right to defend herself? Or the 639 Iranians who were killed by foreign entities—do they have the right to defend themselves yet?
According to Israeli sources, the country does not want to limit itself just to destroying Iran’s nuclear centrifuges and missile capabilities; rather, they want to shatter the foundation of Khamenei’s government and collapse it to the ground. Until now, all Israel has done has nothing to do with defending itself; rather, it has been a spectacle of conquering and boasting its NATO backup in the Middle East region. Israel knew better than all that its higher ambition that destroying Iran’s nuclear enrichment plant could only be achieved through US-produced, 15-tonne bunker-buster bombs. These bombs are carried by B-2 bombers, a suitable arrangement for Netanyahu, who clearly reminded the world how desperate he was for US intervention. On June 15th, he stated, “I leave the US position to the US. What are they going to do now?” It is certain that Netanyahu, with his manipulation and Israel-first policy, finally was able to push Washington to engage directly, making it an all-out Israel–American war on Iran.
Western—Washington and Europe—agenda in the present world order relies upon the amplification and establishment of the Netanyahu and Israeli agenda, as President Trump went on to say that the US and Israel “worked as a team” and have “gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel.”
Despite efforts, the UN stands idle amid the worst humanitarian crisis, silent as Israel continues to receive support and endorsement. It is of utmost regret that even some countries lacking a true backbone are proud to do what they are doing. Yesterday, Switzerland announced its temporary closure of its embassy in Tehran, adding that it would continue to fulfil its role representing US interests in Iran. Why would a sovereign entity stick to the principles and agenda of another country blindly—is it not time we question that?
After today’s US intervention, there is a real possibility of an all-out war—maybe even a world war. Any war backed by ideology, belief, “ism” or blatant lies of “right to defend itself” will only destroy whatever peace is left. The Middle East is already on fire. One misstep could collapse the entire house of cards. Global economic and political stability now depends on our understanding that light can exist even in the darkest of times—if we know how to say “Lumos Maxima”.
Israel took the first step, violating all pre-existing protocols. Iran did what it felt it needed to do. And there were possible chances of a diplomatic solution, as yesterday British, French, German and EU top diplomats held talks in Geneva with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
And yet, like in 2003, we’re watching history repeat itself — only this time, with better cameras and a harmonious “right to defend”.
Israel claims a defence. The U.S. claims success. Iran claims survival.
But who claims Mumtahina? Who speaks for the 639? Who gave America the authority to define what “tragedy” looks like for someone else’s soil?
If this is what justice looks like, maybe neutrality was never the answer—only resistance is.