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Trump, Netanyahu and Khamenei – three angry old men who could get us all killed (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 2 months ago by HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works to c/world@lemmy.world

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This was not inevitable. This is a war Israel chose. It could have been prevented. Diplomatic talks were ongoing when the bombers took off for Iran. Israel’s continuing, illegal, unjustified airstrikes are unlikely to achieve their stated aim – permanently ending Tehran’s presumed efforts to build nuclear weapons – and may accelerate it. They must stop now. Likewise, Iran must halt its retaliation immediately and drop its escalatory threats to attack US and UK bases.

This conflict is not limited, as was the case last year, to tit-for-tat exchanges and “precision strikes” on a narrow range of military targets. It’s reached a wholly different level. Potentially nothing is off the table. Civilians are being killed on both sides. Leaders are targets. The rhetoric is out of control. With Israel fighting on several fronts, and Iran’s battered regime backed against a wall, the Middle East is closer than ever to a disastrous conflagration.

Reasons can always be found to go to war. The roots of major conflicts often reach back decades – and this is true of the Israel-Iran vendetta, which dates to the 1979 Islamic revolution. The so-called “shadow war” between the two intensified in recent years. Yet all-out conflict had been avoided, until now. So who is principally to blame for this sudden, unprecedented explosion?

Answer: three angry old men whose behaviour raises serious doubts about their judgment, common sense, motives and even their sanity.

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[-] ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works -4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I think many people learned the wrong lesson from GWB's Iraq War. It was presented as (among other things) a way to stop an enemy of the USA from obtaining nuclear weapons and it was a mistake, so they conclude that using force to stop enemies of the USA from obtaining nuclear weapons is a mistake. However, using force (if necessary) to stop enemies of the USA from obtaining nuclear weapons is a prudent idea and the problem with that Iraq War was that it was not actually fought for that purpose. GWB was the boy who cried wolf but real wolves still exist.

[-] RadioFreeArabia@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

Why should Israel have nuclear weapons but not Iran?

[-] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 3 points 2 months ago

Zionists being pro-imperialism. Who woulda thunk?!

[-] BrainInABox@lemmy.ml 0 points 2 months ago

Imagine arguing that people thinking you shouldn't launch unprovoked wars of aggression, is a bad thing

this post was submitted on 15 Jun 2025

248 points (94.0% liked)

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