"Iran never engaged in an actual or imminent attack that would justify a war of self-defense. The best that Donald Trump could muster was an argument of prevention that Iran's missile program and capacity to disrupt the Middle East must be curtailed, along with its ability to build a nuclear weapon. But the UN charter does not permit armed attacks for mere preventive purposes; that would open the door to endless armed conflicts."
"Much as in Syria, where the Israeli prime minister prefers a country in chaos while Trump has supported the new authorities, the Israeli strategy for Iran is to pummel the country with the seeming aim of postponing the day when it can strike back. Trump, meanwhile, appears to prefer the Venezuelan option, hoping to engineer a regime more amenable to US interests."
"The ferocity of the bombing has set back Trump's hopes. Instead of regime change, it has produced regime reinforcement. After supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the war's first strike, some senior Iranian officials reportedly sought a more moderate alternative who could reach an accommodation with Trump."
The US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran, now in its third week, lacks legitimate legal foundation under international law. Preventive war doctrine violates the UN Charter and opens doors to endless conflicts. The bombing campaign has achieved air dominance but lacks clear strategic purpose, with Trump admitting little remains to target while Netanyahu claims more targets exist. US and Israeli objectives diverge: Netanyahu seeks to weaken Iran's capacity to retaliate, while Trump pursues regime change through economic pressure. However, the bombing campaign has backfired strategically, strengthening the Iranian regime rather than destabilizing it. After Supreme Leader Khamenei's death in initial strikes, opportunities for moderate succession and accommodation with the US were possible but eliminated by continued bombardment.
#us-iran-conflict #international-law-and-preventive-war #middle-east-geopolitics #regime-change-strategy #military-intervention-consequences
Read at www.theguardian.com
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