By allowing Israel to bomb Iran, Trump is pushing Tehran to go nuclear
By Allowing Israel to Bomb Iran, Trump Pushes Tehran Toward Nuclear Ambitions
Donald Trump’s decision to permit Israel’s attack on Iran represents the most consequential error by a U.S. president since George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq. The previous conflict in Iraq, which began under Bush, led to eight years of turmoil, resulting in at least 655,000 fatalities, according to The Lancet. It also gave rise to extremist groups like the Islamic State and nearly brought Iraq to the brink of collapse, a situation that remains unresolved 14 years later.
Trump’s move could prove even more damaging. By enabling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike Iran during ongoing diplomatic talks with Tehran, the U.S. has placed itself in a position of questionable integrity, akin to figures like Al Capone or Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman. This behavior resembles the tactics of a drug cartel, not a global superpower.
Who can now trust the United States? As a declining power, America increasingly relies on the goodwill of its allies. Trump and his advisors, however, appear oblivious to the magnitude of their actions, celebrating the act of deception they orchestrated. While Israel’s drones eliminated Iranian targets, including those in their sleep or lured to headquarters, Washington praised the operation as a strategic success, citing “exquisite intel” provided to the Israeli military.
Trump later lectured Iran to return to negotiations or risk greater losses. In a
post on Truth Social
, he warned: “Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!” This statement contrasts sharply with the nation’s 92-million-strong population and its millennia of historical resilience.
The U.S. has a history of backing leaders who exploit weaker neighbors. Consider Saddam Hussein, whose regime, supported by Washington and Europe, launched a brutal war against Iran in 1980. At the time, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was still navigating post-revolutionary instability, with much of his military dissolved. Iran’s forces, a mix of regular troops and newly formed Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, were unprepared for the onslaught.
Despite initial Iraqi advances, the war took a heavy toll on Iranian lives. Saddam’s chemical weapons, manufactured with German assistance, caused widespread suffering. Western allies turned a blind eye to the gassing of Kurds in Halabja, even as the attack unfolded. As a former colleague of mine from The Times, Richard Beeston, noted, British diplomats initially dismissed the scale of the atrocities.
Reagan’s National Security Decision Directive 114, issued in 1983, formalized U.S. priorities: protecting military assets and oil interests in the Gulf. Chemical weapons were deemed secondary concerns. Yet, a generation of Iranians still recalls the devastation of those attacks, which left lasting scars on veterans.
This prolonged conflict shaped Iran’s strategic mindset, reinforcing its resolve to build a nuclear program and a vast network of armed groups. The “axis of resistance” emerged as a defensive framework, stretching from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf. Though its strength has waned in recent years, the legacy of that war continues to influence Tehran’s foreign policy.
