The justifications for war with Iran keep changing. First it’s nukes, then it’s conventional missiles, then it’s protesters, and now it’s back to nukes again. Kinda seems like war with Iran is itself the objective, and they’re just making up excuses to get there.
The justifications for war with Iran keep changing. First it’s nukes, then it’s conventional missiles, then it’s protesters, and now it’s back to nukes again. Kinda seems like war with Iran is itself the objective, and they’re just making up excuses to get there.
As the US deploys military assets to the Middle East and conducts extended war exercises throughout the region, President Trump and his team have been sharing warnings directed at Iran on social media, urging them to “make a deal” regarding nuclear arms.
The following statement appeared on Trump’s Truth Social page Wednesday:
“A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully Iran will quickly “Come to the Table” and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence! As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was “Operation Midnight Hammer,” a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
It’s notable that the rationale has circled back to nuclear weapons as the reason for bombing Iran, especially considering that just weeks earlier the focus was on Iran’s treatment of protesters. Earlier this month, Trump publicly encouraged “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING — TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!… HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” while threatening the Iranian government against violent crackdowns. However, the president later withdrew these threats, reportedly on advice from Benjamin Netanyahu, who requested more time for Israel to prepare for conflict.
Before that, Trump had warned of bombing Iran if its conventional missile program kept expanding. When asked about reports that the US and Israel were coordinating strikes aimed at Iran’s ballistic missile development and rebuilding of air defenses damaged in the Twelve Day War, the president told reporters, “I hope they’re not trying to build up again because if they are, we’re going have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup.”
The US pointed to concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions as justification for bombing Iranian energy infrastructure during the Twelve Day War. Trump later declared, “All three nuclear sites in Iran were completely destroyed and/or OBLITERATED. It would take years to bring them back into service.”
Yet months afterward, the nuclear weapons narrative resurfaces as the US president once again cites urgent reasons related to nukes to justify heightened tensions with Iran.
I kinda think they’re lying to us, folks.
When various inconsistent reasons are provided for bombing a nation, and those justifications conflict with each other, it’s clear they’re not genuine reasons, but rather just pretexts.
This strategy mirrors what happened with Venezuela: first citing fentanyl, then cocaine, then the dictatorship, and finally emphasizing its location in the Western Hemisphere to rationalize intervention.
Both Venezuela and Iran are oil-rich countries defying US imperial demands and obstructing America’s global control. The conflict isn’t truly about nukes, protests, dictators, or drugs; it revolves around dominance.
That’s always the core issue. They shuffle the narratives to achieve their aims.
Despite Trump’s loud rhetoric on nuclear weapons, behind the scenes the US is allegedly seeking Iran’s agreement to limit its conventional ballistic missiles, which, as The New York Times points out, serve as Iran’s last line of defense against a renewed Israeli assault.
Essentially, the Trump administration aims to secure Iran’s submission, preventing it from mounting an effective defense should the US and Israel determine Tehran isn’t sufficiently compliant.
While they portray this as a concern over humanitarian issues and nuclear threats, the true motive is control. The choice is between turning Iran into a subservient client or launching a regime change war.
As tensions escalate with Iran, the empire will increase its fabrications to justify its actions.
Original article: caitlinjohnstone.com.au
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