UNITED States President Donald Trump recently warned Iran, saying the “whole civilisation will die”. It reminded me of what Trump said at a press conference with the Japanese prime minister while replying to a journalist’s question about why he had not taken his allies into confidence before going to war with Iran. He said it was so because he wanted to keep the element of surprise. He then drew a controversial comparison, asking why Japan had not given prior warning before attacking Pearl Harbour back in World War II, creating an embarrassing situation for Sanae Takaichi. But he failed to mention what had happened in the aftermath: American planes dropped nuclear bombs, named Little Boy and Fat Man, on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Iran, of course, does not possess weapons like the Little Boy or the Fat Man to respond. But Iran stood, and is still standing, tall against all these threats. Does it also have a ‘Tom Boy’ in its kitty?

Malik ul Quddoos
Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2026