The war Trump unleashed in Iran is turning into his own personal ordeal. For weeks now, he has been searching for a way out but in vain. Simply shouting “I won, I won” isn’t enough to turn a setback into a victory.
The megalomaniac in the White House cannot declare an end to the hostilities without presenting a trophy—even a symbolic one—to the American people. He has none.
Despite the combined firepower of the United States and Israel, the Iranian regime has held firm. With the Strait of Hormuz, it has even found a formidable new lever of pressure.
So, for now, the Iranian regime is not backing down, neither on the Strait of Hormuz nor on the nuclear issue. It is even demanding that the U.S. pay for the destruction caused and is calling for an end to the war in Lebanon – perfectly legitimate demands.
In the meantime, the hostilities continue
The ceasefire now goes hand in hand with a naval battle in the Strait of Hormuz. And, with each passing day, the spiral of war threatens to plunge us into an even greater conflagration.
This would not displease Netanyahu in the least. Israel is working, on its side, to stoke the war. In Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank, the Israeli army is killing dozens of people every day. It is currently destroying and razing dozens of villages in southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu would also like to resume bombing Iran. He claims to have a plan to destroy all of Iran’s energy facilities in just 24 hours. Netanyahu knows exactly how to punish an entire people for the policies of their leaders by causing tens of thousands of deaths.
Macron on the side of the U.S.
Contrary to what the government claims, France is not contributing to de-escalation. Macron first refused to condemn the aggression of American imperialism. And the French military is intervening to destroy Iranian drones, which places it, de facto, on the side of the U.S. And now, the height of hypocrisy, Macron is sending the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle to the Strait of Hormuz, the main theater of war, while claiming to be “non-belligerent”!
Imperialism’s war policy and the active complicity of second-rate powers, such as France, are revolting. Revolting because of the crimes and suffering inflicted on the Palestinians, the Lebanese, and the Iranians. Revolting, too, because this policy is plunging the entire planet into a grave crisis.
The longer the war lasts, the more the chaos spreads
The surge in oil prices is spreading throughout the global economy. The shortage of fertilizer will cause agricultural shortages and famines.
Thousands of planes are already grounded because of the price of jet fuel. It’s a disaster for transportation and energy-intensive industries... This new wave of inflation and instability is already having dramatic consequences for the working class and workers in every country.
Even if we have not yet seen the emergence of determined and massive protests against the leaders of imperialism, that is where we must place our hopes.
Trump does not have completely free rein because he fears reactions within his own country. The American public is, in fact, largely opposed to this war, and not only because it is suffering the consequences through inflation and exorbitant costs but also because many Americans have been shocked by Trump’s brutality and his statements promising to annihilate Iran.
Polls have shown that the unpopularity of this war is as great as that of the Vietnam War. That war sparked a mass movement, particularly among youth. And it helped precipitate the U.S. withdrawal and the end of horrible slaughter. That is the direction we must follow!
The main Achilles’ heel of the imperialist powers is that they need, if not the support of their people, at least their neutrality and passivity. They must not obtain it, and everyone should know that. French troops out of the Middle East and Africa! No to imperialist wars!
Nathalie Arthaud