World today is more unsafe than ever before!
American attacks on the Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday night have changed the dynamic of the world order, in which Washington reinforced its role as a world policeman. These assaults have deep implications for South Asia, the region already undergoing severe tensions, and which has just seen a spell of high-pitched military action between India and Pakistan.
This American attack has completed the picture about which there were speculations earlier in the international community. There were debates, whether US will intervene in the Israel-Iran conflict or not. The Israeli attacks were about a fortnight ago. Taking on Gaza, Lebanon, after the October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel, is something different than taking on a sovereign nation with its deep geo-strategic importance. And Israel could not have fired missiles targeting Iranian nuclear program sites and cities without Washington’s green light.
Iran is an important country. It has massive oil reserves, the Strait of Hormuz, acknowledged as the world’s most critical oil corridor. Some estimates say that nearly 20 per cent of global oil exports flow through the narrow waterway between Oman and Iran. If Iran decides to close it, it could put the transit of about 18 million barrels per days of oil at risk.
President Trump had been throwing different balls in different directions, sometimes hinting at talks with Iran to save it from catastrophic consequences, and on other occasions giving an impression that he was in a typical Hamletian dilemma “to be or not to be.” The truth is out – he had made up his mind to do so weeks ago. Israeli attack on Iran signalled that America would not be far behind. And that’s exactly what happened.
In the aftermath of the US strikes on Iran, most of the Indian subcontinent is counting on the media reports emanating from the West and their analysis. Their biases are clear, but there is no other option to ascertain the news. This is direct result of the self-inflicted loss of credibility by the media outlets in this part of the world.
The American assault on Iran threatens to expand beyond the Mideast. President Trump has laid foundation of the catastrophic trajectory of the conflict. In his address to the nation, soon after the US targeted three key nuclear facilities - Fordo, Natanz and Esfahan, Trump said: “Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success.”
“Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace,” Trump said and went on to add a catastrophic note: “If they do not, future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier.”
It is this nature of threat that has made the world to react quite cautiously. The Islamic countries, too, have been very selective in their reaction, voicing concern and suggesting dialogue and diplomacy, instead of outright condemnation of the American attack, because for them their self-interests outweigh the concerns over the attack on their fellow Islamic country. Perhaps Trump’s recent visit of the Islamic countries was designed to elicit such a reaction. Americans are adept at pushing their envelope.
The most curious case, however, is of Pakistan. It has been quite profuse with its praise of Donald Trump, not only it accepted the US President’s claim that he brokered May 10th ceasefire between India and Pakistan, but went on to treat him like a demigod. Pakistan’s army chief Gen. Asim Munir for lunch by Trump at White House on June 18, when Israel- Iran was poised to enter into second week. The lunch lasted for almost two hours. It was clear that Iran-Israel conflict was discussed. It is also possible that Trump told his guest that what he planned to do to. Pakistan, did not lose time in recommending Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize on the premise that he ended the Indo-Pak conflict was brought to end with the intervention of the US, under the watch of the POTUS.
Pakistan stated that “at the moment of heightened regional turbulence (Indo-Pak military actions against each other), President Trump demonstrated great strategic foresight and other stellar statesmanship through robust diplomatic engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi.” This intervention, it said, “stands as a testament to his (Trump’s) role as a genuine peacemaker and his commitment to conflict resolution through dialogue.”
After waiting for hours following Sunday’s American strikes at the nuclear facilities of Iran, Pakistan’s ministry for foreign affairs condemned the attack and described it as a violation of the UN Charter, and also suggested that Iran has the legitimate right to “defend itself under the UN Charter.’ Does this statement of condemnation of the attack hold any water when Pakistan votes in advance for Nobel Peace Prize for Trump? It is pretty clear that Pakistan is playing a dubious role which is its character.
Trump said that the strikes at the nuclear facilities were to destroy the horribly destructive enterprise. “Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.”
As America and Israel have reinforced their alliances and made it clear that they are one against Iran, Tehran too has decided to do whatever it can. This is a recipe for more attacks and counter-attacks. It is a very very dangerous situation that the world has not seen since the end of the Second World War. Third World War used to be a taboo, now it is WW III, four and five combined as armies don’t cross borders, they destroy adversaries from a distance of hundreds of miles . The whole of the world is vulnerable to these devices.
World was never as unsafe as it is today.
