Provoking Iran into a prolonged war will intensely hurt humanity

Few places in the turbulent world of geopolitics have been as constantly unstable as the Middle East. Iran is one of the nations that have regularly found itself in the spotlight on a global scale. The threat of war with Iran has been looming large in recent times due to provocative acts and rhetoric from different quarters. But it is vital to understand that any intentional escalation of hostilities with Iran would have far-reaching effects for mankind worldwide in addition to being disastrous for the region.

For a long period of time, Israel and the West-particularly the USA-have been using both words and actions to incite Iran to go into war. The USs hostile posture towards Iran and its steadfast backing for Israels genocide in Gaza have produced a combustible atmosphere in the Middle East, heightening the possibility of future confrontations that might have catastrophic effects on humanity. This unwavering support has far-reaching effects on the Gazan people as well as the broader region.

Furthermore, the region has become even more unstable as a result of the USs recalcitrant stance towards Iran. Mistrust and hostility have increased due to the Trump administrations decision to unilaterally exit the Iran nuclear deal despite Irans compliance with its terms and the application of punitive sanctions on Iran. Tensions increased after Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was killed by a US drone attack. Even though the Biden administration had stated intention to formally resume relations with Iran, it continued to push Iran while maintaining its backing for Israel. With the blessing of its Western allies, Israel is attempting to start wars with others like Iran and Lebanon rather than ending the genocide in Gaza.
On April 1, Israel demolished the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, killing 13 individuals, including two Iranian senior generals who were members of the elite Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The West, especially the US and its allies, continued to defend Israel despite the fact that the entire world denounced the attack and Israel was still slaughtering people in Gaza. In an unprecedented move, Iran responded to an Israeli raid on the Iranian consulate in Syria on Saturday by launching hundreds of drones and missiles against Israel.

After more than six months of Israels terrible murder in the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 33,000 Palestinians-including thousands of women, children, and elderly people-and driven the besieged region to the verge of famine, there was an overnight escalation. Many UN human rights officials were also killed in Israels atrocities. With assistance from forces in France, the UK, and the US, the Israeli military claimed to have intercepted 99% of the more than 300 killer drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles.

The incident was verified by Irans IRGC, who said it was carried out as part of Operation "True Promise" as retaliation for the Zionist organizations crime of attacking the Iranian embassy in Syria. Israel has not acknowledged or refuted being behind the attack on the consulate. Following the strike, Irans UN mission declared that the issue was now closed and threatened Israel with a far harsher punishment should the Israeli government commit another error. In the same way that the US has been advising Iran for some time to keep out of Israels affairs, it likewise cautioned the US to remain out of the dispute.

Western countries criticized Irans attack, and the UN Security Council called an emergency meeting to review the situation at Israels request. However, these countries and the UN did little to prevent or condemn Israeli atrocities in Gaza and at the Iranian Consulate in Damascus. Late Saturday, US President Biden reaffirmed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Washingtons ironclad commitment to the security of its ally. In a quick post on X, Netanyahu declared that Israel would win. Meanwhile, analysts assessed Irans attack as precisely calibrated to avoid further escalation, as it resulted in no casualties other than a minor injury.

The UNSC has called both Iran and Israel to exercise restraint during an emergency meeting on Sunday. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres advised adversaries not to increase tensions in the region by further strikes. However, Iran and Israel focused on accusing each other of being a threat to peace.

Notably, Iran staged the attack after notifying the world. An article was even published in the Wall Street Journal of the US warning of a possible Iranian strike on Israel. Iran indeed wanted to provide a message to Israel through this attack as they targeted two locations of Israel - one from where the Israeli intelligence network planned the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the other from where Israel launched that attack. Though Israel claimed to neutralize 99% of the Iranian attack, Iran was more than 100% successful in their mission. If Iran did not notify unlike Israels attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria, then the casualty would have been in thousands.

Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran has built a strong Proxy Network throughout Middle East. Few parts of this network is openly declared like; Hezbollah, Hamas or Houthis. But the actual network is much vaster and even inside the Wests allies in the Middle East. Though Iran has more allies among the Shia Muslims, due to Israeli atrocities during the last 70 years, especially since October 7, 2023 and Western suppot, huge Sunni Muslims are supporting the cause officially or unofficially. Moreover, Israel has portrayed itself as a hostile nation and there are intense public sentiments against them, which is compelling even the Jews to protest Israeli atrocities.

The USA and its Western allies are constantly supporting Israel mainly due to two reasons. Firstly, they want to control the Middle Eastern oil supply. Secondly, the financial sector of the US and many other European countries are controlled by the Jews and the elections in these countries, especially the US, are heavily influenced by these Jews. Hence, Joe Biden, despite being the leader of the democratic world, needs to patronize Israel to win the upcoming election. Moreover, keeping the different regions, especially the Middle East, hostile is supportive to the arms trade of the West.

A confrontation with Iran would have far-reaching effects beyond the Middle Easts borders. Irans relationships with Russia, China, North Korea, and a number of Middle Eastern, Asian, and African countries raise the prospect of a protracted and deadly conflict. Given Irans and its allies nuclear capabilities, the possibility of an escalation to a nuclear war adds a scary dimension. Furthermore, a battle with Iran will stall progress on important issues like as climate change, terrorism, and pandemics. Furthermore, further turmoil in the Middle East may provide ideal ground for extremist beliefs to develop. Furthermore, with new war, the loss of international norms and institutions threatens to shake the foundations of global order and collaboration.

It is critical that all efforts be made to prevent the escalation of hostilities with Iran while addressing the underlying grievances and concerns. The US holds a specific responsibility here calling for fundamentally reevaluating its policies toward Israel, Palestine, and Iran, informed by principles of justice, respect for international law, and a dedication to human rights.

The US President Joe Biden is contesting the upcoming US National Election following the principles of democracy and human rights. He must first break free from his prejudiced and questionable actions, though. Despite Bidens constant references to democracy and human rights, it is clear that the present administration does not uphold these principles. Before endorsing occupying forces like Israel, the USs blind allies must also check their consciences. Truly, more wars will not spare anyone.

The US and its allies must first embrace and carry out the two-state solution in order to acknowledge Palestine as an independent country and put an end to Israeli occupation in order to resolve the conflict. The US needs to use its clout to pressure Israel to stop occupying Palestinian territory. In a similar vein, in order to resolve unresolved issues and foster confidence, the US must recommit to the diplomatic route with Iran and holding substantive negotiations.

In an interconnected world, the implications of an additional war will be worldwide, and the West will bear the brunt of the criticism, as the people of the United States and its allies are already opposing Israeli atrocities and the Wests support for them. Provoking Iran into war will lead to a long clash that will be detrimental to civilization because both sides are powerful, unlike World War II.

Hence, the only realistic alternative for a better future is for the international community to embrace the pursuit of peace rather than the route of war that the West and Israel have plotted. If not, the mankind will blame their leaders for their despair.

The writer is Chief Editor at Mohammadi News Agency (MNA) and Editor at Kishore Bangla