UNLESS there is an immediate diplomatic breakthrough, the joint Israeli-American aggression against Iran launched on Saturday morning has the potential to create a maelstrom across the Middle East and beyond. Already hostilities have spread, as the Iranians, along with lobbing missiles at Israel, have also hit American military facilities in several Gulf states, just as they threatened they would in the run-up to this unfolding disaster.

For Iran’s rulers, this is the third time they have been double-crossed by US President Donald Trump. The first time was when Mr Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, the second when America joined Israel in the 12-day war last year. On Thursday, after talks in Geneva, it had seemed that things might be moving towards a resolution, particularly on the nuclear issue, with the Omani foreign minister saying that “peace … is within our reach”. But clearly, the US and Israel had other ideas.

Mr Trump has referred to himself as a man of peace, claiming that he has stopped eight wars, and saved tens of millions of lives by intervening during the armed clash between Pakistan and India last year. While the jury is still out on these claims, his recent actions contradict this impression of himself: in other words, Mr Trump has proved to be a warmonger where Iran is concerned.

Apparently, Iran was ready to reassure the global community that it would not develop nuclear weapons, as the Omani foreign minister observed, though discussion on Tehran’s ballistic missiles was off the table. Moreover, the US kept shifting the goalposts, variably criticising Tehran’s nuclear policy, its crackdown on internal dissent and its support to armed groups in the region. This indicates that the talks were a ruse to buy time, and the US-Israeli combine was never serious about peace. Now they have a war they have long sought to fight, and how this ends is anybody’s guess.

Aiming for regime change in Iran, Mr Trump has said Iranian defence capabilities with be “annihilated”. But regime change may not be as easily achieved; and disaster will surely follow as it did in Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq. Already there have been civilian casualties reported in Iran, with local media saying a girls’ elementary school in Hormozgan has resulted in several fatalities. Is this the ‘help’ Mr Trump promised to send the Iranian people?

If the conflict continues, there will be much more bloodshed, as well as worldwide economic chaos as the region is key to global oil and gas supplies, and a trade hub. An immediate ceasefire is required, along with a commitment to respect the territorial sovereignty of all states. But judging by their behaviour, it is unlikely that Tel Aviv and Washington will listen to the voice of reason.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2026