Grave crisis

2026-03-02 - 20:24

THE naked aggression against Iran on flimsy grounds has pushed the entire region into a grave crisis with dangerous implications for security and economy of regional countries and beyond. The worst aspect of the ongoing war between the United States and Israel on the one hand and Iran on the other is that the UN has been bypassed showing scant respect for international law and talks were used as a smoke-screen to hoodwink the victim state, which was willing to concede to any reasonable demand to resolve the issue through peaceful means. What transpired in Iran after elimination of its top leadership under the law of the jungle must have dismayed the planners of the aggression as entire Iranian nation came out on roads to condemn killing of the Supreme Leader and others vowing to take revenge and authorities quickly formed an interim leadership structure to guide the country through the ongoing crisis. The extraordinary unity displayed by the people of Iran was a message that the idea of so-called regime change will not be easy to implement and instead the aggressors only earned more wrath of the Iranian nation and world-wide condemnation of their black deeds. The statement of President Masoud Pezeshkian also highlighted this aspect when he declared that avenging Khamenei’s assassination was both ‘a duty and a right of the nation’. American President Donald Trump took pride in eliminating 48 Iranian leaders in one go, claimed that he was approached by the new leadership in Tehran for talks and he has agreed to the proposal but the process of a negotiated solution has lost its credibility in view of the treacherous conduct of the United States in earlier rounds, which were used as a camouflage to prepare for deadly strikes that also targeted schools killing innocent children. There is apparently no point in talking in the absence of any neutral guarantors and observers. In the hindsight, Iran committed a blunder by rejecting inclusion of other countries that were invited to participate in the US-Iran talks, as they would have been witness to the seriousness of the both sides. Otherwise too, the talks might not produce any tangible result as Iran was not willing to accept roll back of its enrichment programme whereas the United States, in addition, now also wants inclusion of Iranian missile programme on the agenda. Iran might ultimately adopt a flexible approach on the nuclear issue but it is not expected to make any compromise on its missile programme, which is seen as the only viable technology to defend the motherland and make the enemy feel threatened. It is also a reality that the talk of dialogue is just a global PR exercise by the United States in the face of internal and external condemnation of the unnecessary and unlawful Iran war as President Trump himself is speaking about a month-long operation. However, given the resolve of the Iranian leadership and their people, the US and Israel are unlikely to realize any of the objectives of their aggression except killing of more people and large-scale destruction of the bombed country. If Israel could not suppress resistance of Gazans despite relentless bombing of the Strip for over two years, there is virtually no possibility that Iranians could be forced to bow down as they are more united than before after assassination of their spiritual leader. The US aggression has also exposed the otherwise safe and prosperous Gulf States to strategic and economic challenges and together with the closure of Strait of Hormuz by Iran, the regional and global trade and economy will be shattered if the conflict continues for weeks. As some influential European countries are, as before, toeing the American line, it is the responsibility of China and Russia to play a role, together with the UN, to help stop the war.