Reckless strikes, diplomacy betrayed

2026-03-01 - 22:33

There are no words strong enough to denounce the unprovoked and reckless aggression carried out jointly by Israel and the US against Iran. The scale, timing and consequences of this assault have shaken the foundations of regional stability and undermined whatever faith remained in the international order. With the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the US air strikes on Saurday morning, the region now stands at the edge. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian termed Supreme Leader’s killing a great crime, vowing to make those responsible regret it. The joint operation, publicly acknowledged by President Donald Trump as beginning of “major combat operations,” reportedly involved hundreds of aircraft and targeted sites deep inside Iranian territory. Israeli officials stated that around 200 fighter jets struck roughly 500 targets across Iran, including strategic defense systems and military installations. Iranian sources have spoken of infrastructure damage, casualties and even reported deaths of members of the Supreme Leader’s family. These actions raise a fundamental and troubling question: does international law still hold meaning when powerful states decide to act unilaterally? The strikes were described as “pre-emptive,” aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Yet such reasoning, absent a clear and immediate threat, dangerously stretches the concept of pre-emption into a doctrine of discretionary war. If every nation adopts this logic, global order will collapse into permanent instability. It is equally important to state that under international law, every sovereign state possesses inherent right to self-defense. Iran’s response with missile and drone attacks directed at Israel must be understood within that legal framework. No country can be expected to absorb a direct assault on its territory, the killing of its senior leadership and widespread destruction without reacting. However, while Iran’s retaliation is understandable, it must also be measured and calculated. Iranian missiles have also targeted sites in the Gulf states. This is where caution becomes essential. It is advisable for Iran, while exercising its legitimate right to self-defence, to target only actual enemy and not brothers and sisters in the Gulf many of whom were engaged in mediation and had sought to ease tensions before this crisis. Then one cannot help but ask: if diplomatic channels were open and mediators were actively engaged, why were these strikes launched at this particular moment? The timing is deeply troubling. It suggests that the objective may have gone beyond deterring nuclear capability and instead veered toward regime destabilisation. The killing of Supreme Leader reinforces that perception. Removing the highest political and religious authority in Iran signals an ambition not merely to weaken military infrastructure but to alter internal balance of power.Such a course is fraught with peril. The death of Ayatollah Khamenei is likely to harden positions within Iran rather than moderate them. Meanwhile, public opinion within the United States has also opposed the strikes against Iran. Demonstrators gathered outside the White House and marched through Washington to protest the strikes. Among those voicing opposition is Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who declared that Americans are “sick and tired of endless wars built on false promises and paid for with innocent lives,” and called for Congress to reassert its authority under the War Powers Resolution. The regional and global consequences of this escalation are immense. Iran has warned of closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption passes. Any sustained disruption there would send energy prices soaring, deepen economic hardship worldwide and exacerbate inflationary pressures already burdening ordinary families. This conflict is not confined to the Middle East, its economic shockwaves will be felt globally. What is required now is not merely condemnation but urgent, coordinated diplomatic action. Influential Arab capitals, European countries and other global stakeholders must move swiftly to press for an immediate ceasefire. Escalation serves no one’s interests. The longer this confrontation continues, the greater the risk of miscalculation, broader regional war and irreversible humanitarian catastrophe. The United States and Israel must be pushed to halt further hostilities and return to negotiating table. President Donald Trump has often spoken of ending wars and projecting strength through peace. Yet under his leadership, this new conflict represents a dangerous gamble and a dark stain on Washington’s foreign policy record. It is a moment for decisive diplomacy. Failure to act now will plunge the region into a widening war whose costs in blood, stability and economic security will be borne by the entire world.