By Qamar Bashir
On June 13, 2025, the world witnessed a dangerous escalation in the Middle East when Israel launched an unprovoked and unilateral strike on Iran, using its advanced F-35 stealth aircraft to bomb high-profile military and civilian targets in Tehran. The attack claimed the lives of senior Iranian commanders, nuclear scientists, professors, and innocent civilians—including women, children, and the elderly. The justification? A vague and baseless accusation that Iran was imminently developing a nuclear weapon.
However, that claim collapsed swiftly. In a decisive response, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) clarified that the attack bore no relation to any IAEA findings. He categorically stated that Iran had not violated its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and that there was no evidence of uranium enrichment reaching weapons-grade levels or any sign of Iran building a nuclear bomb. While acknowledging transparency issues, he emphasized they were not extraordinary when compared to inspections in other countries. The IAEA ultimately declared the Israeli assault a political decision devoid of nuclear justification.
This revelation stripped away the mask. Israel’s motive was never disarmament—it was strategic domination. By dismantling Iran’s infrastructure and decapitating its command structure, Israel aims to replicate Gaza’s plight: a nation crippled, isolated, and humiliated. With unwavering backing from President Donald Trump, Israel seeks to erase Iran as a regional counterbalance once and for all.
President Trump’s role has been duplicitous. His public messaging fluctuates between boasts of “winning with Israel” and threats demanding Iran’s surrender within two weeks—or face annihilation. This erratic behavior is a textbook case of psychological warfare, meant to sow confusion and pressure Iran’s leadership into submission.
Yet no article of the UN Charter, no principle of international law, and no precedent in diplomacy legitimizes one sovereign nation threatening another with total destruction unless it complies. Trump’s threats are not merely provocative—they are imperial commands cloaked in strategic language, a stark violation of international norms.
In stark contrast, the European Union has opted for diplomacy. The UK, France, and Germany have engaged in discussions with Iran’s Foreign Minister, seeking a peaceful exit from the crisis. Iran, however, has drawn a firm red line: negotiations are off the table until Israel halts its aggression. Until then, Tehran vows to defend its sovereignty, dignity, and freedom with full force.
This divergence in response reflects a broader shift—power is no longer concentrated in Washington alone. New centers of global influence are emerging, and not all are aligned with U.S. militarism.
Russia, long a traditional ally of Iran, has opted for neutrality. Preoccupied with its prolonged war in Ukraine—a conflict sustained by NATO and U.S. support—Moscow cited the absence of any formal military pact with Iran as the reason for abstaining. This silence is significant: even Russia refuses to be dragged into a conflict ignited by Tel Aviv and fanned by Washington.
Meanwhile, China is executing a more calculated strategy. From Iraq to Libya, Syria to Afghanistan, Beijing has observed that every U.S.-led war depletes American economic, political, and military capital. The more America bleeds, the more China surges. Beijing’s neutrality is not weakness—it is strategic wisdom. Let Washington entangle itself in yet another endless war while China accelerates its rise as a global superpower.
In this unfolding geopolitical drama, China quietly emerges as the silent victor—building trade alliances, fostering diplomacy, and projecting power without firing a single shot.
In a significant yet understated development, President Trump held a closed-door meeting with Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, bypassing civilian leadership. While the official statement was vague and devoid of substance, the timing speaks volumes. With the conflict expected to escalate, the U.S. may seek Pakistani cooperation—covertly or overtly—for ground operations in the region. Though deeply unpopular among Pakistanis, such decisions often lie with military and intelligence agencies, not public will. This potential alignment poses grave risks for Pakistan, as any role against Iran could invite retaliatory strikes on major Pakistani cities. In this context, it is Pakistan—not just the U.S.—that must tread with extreme caution.
Domestically both Israel and USA are faced with severe public backlash. Ironically, as Israel claims to be acting in the interest of Jewish security, many Jews around the world now feel that jews are more safe in rest of the world than in Israel. A prominent Jewish leader in the UK declared recently that he had always felt safe in Britain, but now views Israel as one of the most dangerous places on Earth for Jews.
Across American social media platforms—from X to Facebook to TikTok—citizens are loudly protesting the use of their tax dollars and military lives for what they perceive as an Israeli war, not an American one. There is no congressional consensus, no popular mandate, no NATO support, and no UN resolution. This war is unauthorized, unmandated, and unsupported.
Europe too has shown restraint. Its citizens are weary of endless wars waged under U.S. pressure and driven by Israeli regional ambitions. Governments across the continent are resisting involvement, recognizing the immense human, economic, and moral costs of yet another Middle Eastern quagmire.
As the fog of war thickens, one truth becomes undeniable: Israel and the United States are isolated. Trump’s reckless foreign policy has alienated Canada, fractured Europe, weakened U.S. credibility at the UN, and emboldened adversaries. Meanwhile, China remains the calm observer—watching America deplete itself in yet another unwinnable military adventure.
In a world where legitimacy hinges on law, consensus, and multilateral cooperation, this war has none. It is an illegal act of aggression, risking widespread destabilization across the Middle East and further eroding America’s standing on the global stage.
Let us hope against hope that sanity might still prevail. History is replete with lessons—lessons the United States seems determined to ignore. It invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to overthrow the Taliban and impose its own governance. After two decades of war, trillions of dollars spent, and thousands of lives lost, the U.S. withdrew—only to hand the reins back to the same Taliban it once ousted, departing in humiliation and disgrace.
If the U.S. and Israel now place their boots on Iranian soil, the result will be no different. Even after years—perhaps centuries—of warfare, the endgame will be the same: the Islamic Revolutionary Government will remain. The only difference will be the price paid. America and Israel will have lost more than just a war—they will have squandered legitimacy, global respect, and whatever moral authority they still possess. And with each such misadventure, they grow weaker, while those they sought to destroy grow more resilient.
By Qamar Bashir
Press Secretary to the President (Rtd)
Former Press Minister, Embassy of Pakistan to France
Former MD, SRBC | Macomb, Michigan, USA
