Sounds familiar': how the US-Israeli war in Iran parallels Russia's invasion of Ukraine

"Early US statements framed the strikes as a response to an effort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Officials have also emphasised degrading Iran's missile capabilities and weakening the military infrastructure that supports its regional proxy network. But the goals have increasingly become more maximalist. Donald Trump has said that Iran's leadership should be replaced, openly raising the prospect of regime change, and more recently called for Tehran's unconditional surrender."

"In Russia's war in Ukraine, the Kremlin has also repeatedly shifted its stated objectives. When Putin launched the invasion in February 2022, he said the goal was the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine language widely interpreted as a push for regime change in Kyiv. As the war dragged on, the Kremlin increasingly presented the conflict as one about protecting Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine and securing control over territories Moscow later moved to annex."

"Both sides have portrayed their actions as defensive, citing what experts say are at best dubious claims that they were acting to prevent an imminent threat."

The US-Israel military campaign against Iran exhibits parallels to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including constantly shifting stated objectives and questionable legal foundations. Initial US justifications focused on preventing Iranian nuclear weapons acquisition and degrading missile capabilities, but goals have escalated toward regime change and unconditional surrender demands. Similarly, Russia's invasion began with stated demilitarization and denazification objectives, later shifting to protecting Russian speakers and territorial annexation. Both campaigns frame their actions as defensive responses to alleged imminent threats, though experts question the validity of these claims. While the scale and nature differ significantly, both conflicts demonstrate pattern of evolving justifications and ambiguous legal standing.

Read at www.theguardian.com