Liberation unequivocally condemns the United States’ bombing of Iran in the early hours of this morning, which amounted to an illegal and grossly reckless act of aggression that seriously imperils global peace and security. This escalation, carried out hand-in-glove by two nuclear-armed states – the United States and Israel – against a signatory nation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), has ignited a conflict with potentially catastrophic ramifications not only for the Middle East region but the wider world, and one that could have been avoided through diplomacy.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has claimed that the US strikes were intended to “alleviate” the “grave threat” posed by Iran’s nuclear programme. Yet there is no credible evidence that Iran was in fact developing nuclear weapons. As recently as 25 March, the US Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, confirmed that the US intelligence agencies’ assessment was that Iran is not pursuing a nuclear weapon and that the country’s leadership had not reversed its long-standing suspension of a military nuclear programme in effect from 2003.
The Islamic Republic regime in Iran is undoubtedly a reactionary repressive dictatorship, which has committed serial terrible human rights violations against the Iranian people over the 45 years it has been in power – but it is for the Iranian people, and only them, to confront the regime, effect a democratic and popular transition away from theocracy, and decide the future course of developments of Iran completely free from any foreign interference and intervention. As the Iranian people know only too well, the US doctrine of regime change always ends badly.
Israel, for its part, is ever more clearly in the eyes of the world a rogue state seemingly addicted to the pursuit of forever wars and bloodshed with absolute international impunity. The risk of a broader Middle East conflict – possibly even involving a nuclear conflagration – has never been greater in recent years. The Israeli regime, now clearly out-of-control, must be brought to heel and then account under international law thereafter. But instead, its main sponsor, the US, has moved from a support role behind the scenes to centre stage in this conflict, joining Israel in what is a huge and extremely dangerous escalation.
The US and Israeli strikes are a flagrant violation of international law, the United Nations Charter, as well as the principles regarding the peaceful resolution of inter-state disputes and the use of force as a last resort and for the purpose of self-defence. As China and Russia have rightly made clear in their condemnations, the bombing of a sovereign state and targeting of its nuclear facilities, operating under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) overview and safeguards, is a flagrant breach of all international norms and protocols.
US imperialist intervention in the Middle East – from the 1953 overthrow of Iran’s democratically elected government, to the Iraq war, to its unwavering support for the settler-colonial state of Israel – has brought neither peace nor prosperity to the region or the world, in fact the polar opposite. It must end.
The UK government’s response to this latest outrage once again shows how out of step it is with the international community and world public opinion. In the interests of its own international standing and sovereignty, it must stop playing poodle to Washington and begin taking real, independent, and solid action in favour of the maintaining of peace and the international rules-based order.
The previous Labour government made the disastrous and eternally damning choice to follow the US into devastating illegal wars and occupations, first in Afghanistan and then Iraq. The current Labour government must make sure that it does not follow that same course and allow history to repeat itself, for it will not be judged favourably otherwise. It must instead choose to uphold peace and international law – not imperialist intervention, bloodshed, and war.
We echo the words of the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres: “There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace.”
Meanwhile, as the world’s attention understandably shifts to the US-Israel-Iran conflict and the major ramifications it portends, the bloody genocide in Gaza continues apace – with starving Palestinians mercilessly slaughtered in their droves as they assemble and queue for desperately needed aid. It must remain an urgent priority for the international community to bring this outrage, indeed a stain on our collective conscience, to an end once and for all.
Liberation calls for an immediate ceasefire, a return to diplomacy, as well as an end to the UK’s disgraceful complicity in Israel’s war on the Palestinian people and its brutal occupation of their homeland.
