The War Initiated by the United States Against Iran

The War Initiated by the United States Against Iran

The war initiated by the United States against Iran has created a crisis that has put the international order to the test. This crisis is the result of decades of political disputes, economic sanctions, and security pressure on Iran. Naturally, the current war should be examined within a broader framework. This framework encompasses not only the war itself, but also how the international community approaches the concepts of sovereignty, the right to self-defense, and the responsibility of states for the consequences of military decisions.

Given the important questions raised by this crisis and the long history of economic sanctions, their consequences go beyond the political structure and affect people's lives.

Therefore, claims concerning support for human rights only gain credibility when their standards are consistently applied in diverse situations. If human rights are a universal principle, they should not be invoked only when they align with the political objectives of a major power.

The same applies to opposition to war. If Western governments were genuinely opposed to the escalation of wars, one would expect them to express their opposition before the conflict begins and at the decision-making stage, not only when the economic and security consequences of war directly affect their own interests. One cannot speak of peace on the one hand and remain silent on the other when a country is forced into war and a decision is made that increases the likelihood of further escalation. This contradiction undermines public confidence in the foreign policies of countries that claim to defend the international order.

At the same time, the expansion of the conflict to other countries in the region has created a serious problem. If countries such as Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan genuinely wanted to prevent the conflict from spreading to their territories, they should have refrained from accepting military forces or facilities from a foreign power in order to prevent their countries from becoming battlefields. Therefore, assessing responsibility for this situation is impossible without considering the origin of the crisis. Every military action has consequences, and every decision to start a war must be weighed against the possible reactions of the other side and their regional consequences.

An attack can provoke a reaction; a reaction can provoke another attack; and ultimately, several countries can become trapped in a cycle of conflict without having directly initiated the crisis.

Under such circumstances, the political responsibility of governments is not limited to their initial decision; it also includes assessing the consequences of that decision and attempting to prevent the crisis from spreading.

Therefore, no one can expect Iran to remain silent in the face of an attack. A country that has been attacked has the right to defend itself. For international laws to be valid, they must be applied under all circumstances and according to a relatively consistent standard for all countries.

If a country is exempt from the rules that others are required to follow because of its military power or political position, not only is a particular war at risk, but the credibility of the entire international system is also at stake.

Of course, the issue of Iran is not merely a political dispute between Tehran and Washington. The question is: Can a country be subjected to pressure for years, then pushed into a military confrontation, and ultimately be expected not to defend itself?

The answer is clear: No. Iran has the right to defend itself. The way out of this crisis lies not in political slogans, but in accepting responsibility, preventing further escalation, and creating an appropriate framework for negotiations. Peace is meaningful only if both sides share a common principle; real peace cannot be achieved through violence, and negotiations must be based on mutual respect and free from coercion and dictatorship.

Author: Gouya Roshan
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