US-Israel aggression against Iran: Game changer for the region

The launch of the American-Israeli joint war against Iran, which is illegal, unprovoked, and unwarranted, and coming at a time when an agreement was within reach, is the single most important development for the Muslim world and this region since 9/11.

This war of choice is now increasingly being seen by most Muslims as a ‘civilisational war’ initiated by Zionism, with the connivance of the United States of America, against yet another Muslim country. There are three contexts to this war. First, it reminds Muslims of the famous statement made by America’s General Wesley Clark, soon after 9/11, when he visited the Pentagon, he was told that the US had already made preparations and planning for wars against seven Muslim countries in five years. This statement was made after he visited the Pentagon on the 20th of September 2001, naming Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Lebanon and Iran as the said countries. All of the countries named in that list have either been attacked or fragmented, thanks to America’s wars of choice. Iran was the only remaining country in that list of seven Muslim states.

Second, this war comes soon after the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel, where the Indo-Israel axis was cemented between these ideological soulmates representing the bigoted ideologies of Modi’s Hindutva and Netanyahu’s Zionism. The third context is that this war of aggression against Iran, initiated by the US and Israel, came a few days after the meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington DC, during which Pakistan and seven other Muslim countries also participated. Launching a premeditated war demonstrates that the Board of Peace is now a worthless platform which has been transformed into a 'Board of War' in pursuit of the hegemonic designs of the US and Israel.

We should be very clear that the war against Iran is not about nuclear weapons. It’s not about missiles, and it’s not about Iran’s proxies. As Omar Al-Busaidi, the Foreign Minister of Oman, has already stated that “peace was within reach. They had reached an agreement. Iran had agreed to most of the demands of the United States regarding the nuclear issue". Therefore, there was no cause, no justification for launching this war other than that it was already pre-planned and it also shows that the talks with Iran initiated by Washington were basically a ruse, a ploy, and a decoy to buy time because the ultimate aim of Washington and Israel is the same, that is to demolish the Islamic Revolution which took place in 1979 and which has stood steadfast against both American and Israeli hegemony.

There are three casualties of this conflict. There is a political casualty of President Trump. His credibility is in tatters because he has not only waged a war based on deceit and deception, but he has also betrayed his own mandate to the American people, to whom he had committed ‘no more wars’. It is now no longer 'America first', but 'Israel first' for Trump. Even the majority of Americans, almost 75%, oppose this war against Iran, according to the latest public opinion polls issued on Monday. The second casualty of this war is the Rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, because now it has been documented that some of Iran’s Gulf neighbours were complicit in the US-Israel war of aggression, and hence the Iranian retaliation. The third casualty is the Board of Peace, which is buried in the debris of the Iran war.

Given this context, the fallout of this war will be felt across the region, especially in Pakistan, which shares a 900km border with Iran. What are the implications for Pakistan, and what should Islamabad do in this scenario? The most important implication of this war is the Indo-Israel axis, which, God forbid, if Israel succeeds in regime change in Iran, would mean that the Israeli border has been moved to Taftan. And this would be destabilising for Pakistan, especially Balochistan, as well as Pakistan's nuclear programme. The second aspect is that there are implications for Pakistan’s own relations in the region, especially with the US. So Pakistan now needs a strategic reset because there is the potential of a new challenge emerging for Pakistan, the country's security and stability, given the realignments in the region.

The strategic reset that Pakistan needs will involve three areas. First, set our own house in order by giving a healing touch politically and by having an inclusive, unified approach to face the imminent grave challenge. This also means that giving relief to the opposition, releasing political prisoners, and settling the issue of Balochistan's missing persons, which is one of the roots of disaffection in the strife-torn province. This also means reaching out to have closer coordination with the Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf (PTI) government in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on counter-terrorism.

Secondly, Pakistan needs to formulate an effective counter-terror strategy, which is currently missing. A comprehensive national, whole-of-system strategy, that takes into account coordination amongst intelligence agencies, between the federal government and the provinces, especially the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to replace the current tactical security approach acting as a ‘fire brigade’ to douse the flames, while the terrorists are ahead of the state committing acts of terrorism at a time and target of their own choosing.

The third is to defuse the situation with Afghanistan as multiple fronts weaken Pakistan from within, more so given the Kabul-Delhi emerging nexus.

Finally, let's be clear: it is no longer the same peaceful, tranquil Middle East. The entire region is on fire, with the war escalating to the Gulf, to Cyprus, with the Europeans jumping in, thanks to the US-Israeli aggression.

The Supreme Leader’s prediction turned out true: "If the US or Israel attacks Iran, it will become a regional war." This is going to be an unwinnable war for both aggressors!

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed is a former minister for information and culture. He posts on X @Mushahid

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