In the face of the Iranian people’s steadfastness, and the outrage of the world, the Trump administration has been compelled to temporarily step back from the brink of catastrophe.
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire and negotiations for a lasting peace. While details are still emerging, it appears that these negotiations will be based on the framework put forward by Iran, not the list of demands Trump had insisted that Iran accept. The U.S.-Israeli bombardment that has cost so many lives is set to end in the coming hours, and people in Iran are celebrating what will at least be a pause in the aggression against their country.
There is no doubt that Trump failed to achieve the goals he set out at the onset of this illegal war of aggression. Iran’s capacity to defend itself remains clearly intact – despite the efforts of the largest military in the world, Iran kept the Strait of Hormuz closed until the moment a ceasefire was reached. Trump’s claim to have achieved “regime change” in Iran is laughable. The country’s system of governance remains fully in place, and Iran’s sovereignty has been reaffirmed rather than subordinated to a client of Washington. Iran has not been forced to break its alliances throughout the Middle East, and it has always maintained that it was never seeking a nuclear weapon in the first place.
What Trump has accomplished is proving beyond a doubt in front of the entire world that he is a ruthless war criminal and murderer, with no regard for human life. On the very first day of the war, the U.S. military massacred nearly 200 people at a girls’ school in the city of Minab. Thousands were ultimately killed in the onslaught unleashed by Trump and Netanyahu. Universities, bridges, industrial facilities and other vital infrastructure were bombarded.
Rather than denying these war crimes, Trump made it a central part of his public messaging. This involved unmistakable threats to commit genocide. His public pronouncement that Iran’s “whole civilization will die tonight” will go down in history as one of the most chilling and brazen expressions of intent to commit mass murder ever uttered by a world leader. He must be held to account for his war crimes.
Iranians did not give in to this blackmail. People from all walks of life and from different political backgrounds recognized that this was a conflict where the country’s survival was at stake. In the run up to Trump’s genocidal 8:00 p.m. deadline, people gathered in front of the bridges and power plants that were being threatened with annihilation. The U.S. government and Israel’s goal was to cause a total collapse of Iranian society – but this proved to be a fantasy.
The whole world was stunned at Trump’s genocidal threat. Even countries with governments that are typically subordinate to the United States felt compelled to speak out. It is too early to say with certainty what the long-term consequences will be for the position of the United States in the world. But certainly no one could come away from the experience of this war feeling more confident in a world order dominated by the U.S. government.
At least 13 U.S. soldiers are dead, hundreds more are injured, and tens of billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on this war. And for what? All in a vain attempt to satisfy Trump’s desire to “run” the whole world, and enrich oil corporations and weapons manufacturers.
Trump even admitted that the U.S. government was unable to pay for universal childcare, and to fund healthcare programs like Medicaid and Medicare, because of the massive costs associated with the Pentagon war machine. War for empire abroad means that it will only get harder and harder for working people in this country to make ends meet. And even with a ceasefire, higher fuel prices and inflation throughout the economy will last long after the fighting stops.
Negotiations are now set to begin in Pakistan for a permanent resolution to the war. Continuing pressure from the public in the United States and from the people of the world will be necessary to ensure that the attack on Iran does not resume. Similarly, it will be crucial that an agreement include the cessation of Israel’s war on Lebanon, which has caused massive death and displacement.
Trump and the war mongers in his administration had hoped that they could rampage across the world, taking out all the governments that refused to bow down to Washington and Wall Street using overwhelming military power. But that terrible aspiration has now been dealt a major setback.
