The Urgent Search for an Alternative World Order

"Before dawn on February 28, the United States and Israel launched what Donald Trump hailed as "major combat operations in Iran" but was, in fact, an undeclared, unauthorized, and unconstitutional regime-change war. As the bombs rained down on at least 14 cities, the death toll included Iran's 86-year-old supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and at least 165 people-most of them young girls-at a primary school."

"The attack on Iran represents the latest manifestation of an increasingly belligerent foreign policy that has seen US military interventions topple two government leaders in two months. The president who in 2024 declared, "I'm not going to start wars," is now starting wars of aggression, threatening invasions, abandoning treaties, and creating chaos with such abandon."

"The Nation opposes Trump's latest war, as do most Americans. But we are concerned that the response of many commentators to the Trump catastrophe is to hope for a return to a failed old order-a system of "rules" and strategies so unpopular that voters have already rejected them."

The United States and Israel launched undeclared military operations against Iran in February 2026, resulting in significant civilian casualties including Iran's supreme leader and schoolchildren. This action exemplifies an increasingly aggressive foreign policy under Trump's administration, which has toppled two government leaders within two months despite campaign promises against starting wars. The attack triggered regional counterstrikes and threatens prolonged conflict. While opposing this military action, critics recognize that simply returning to previous foreign policy frameworks would be inadequate, as voters already rejected those approaches. A comprehensive reassessment of America's global role is necessary, grounded in established values and historical perspective.

Read at The Nation