Okay, buckle up, because we need to talk about the absolute tragedy happening in the Middle East right now in the form of this David vs. Goliath situation (except Goliath has nukes and an unlimited credit card from Uncle Sam).
So here's the thing: On June 13, 2025, Israel decided to wake up and choose violence by launching surprise attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. Because apparently, "Good morning" isn't a thing anymore – it's straight to "Let's bomb some stuff!"
Even though Israel claims it hasn’t targeted civilians, the reality on ground is a very different story. Israeli airstrikes have targeted not just Iranian military and nuclear sites, but also energy infrastructure, residential neighborhoods, and media buildings across multiple locations.
And then – plot twist that absolutely nobody saw coming – the US jumped in like that friend who instigates fights at parties. Under President Trump, the US has provided political and possibly logistical backing for Israel’s aggressive actions, emboldening Israel to strike Iranian targets with less fear of international backlash.
The Trump administration’s support has enabled Israel to escalate not just against Iran but also in Syria and Gaza, destabilizing the region further and undermining diplomatic efforts for peace. The broader context includes ongoing atrocities in Palestinian territories, especially against children. There is overwhelming evidence that Israeli forces opened fire near aid distribution centers in southern Gaza, killing over 50 Palestinians and injuring many more.
More recently, the US has bombed three major Iranian nuclear sites including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
These military “successes”, as Trump puts it, have in total killed at least 224 people in Iran according to Iranian government sources, and injured over 1,800 more. All because some big bully across the Atlantic ocean thought killing innocent people somehow “protects” democracy.
NUCLEAR REACTOR AT FORDOW Image source: https://staticimg.amarujala.com/assets/images/2025/06/22/iran-israel-us_1e889e26f31e009f40c2c0d4a05a0b9e.jpeg?w=414&dpr=1.0&q=80
But wait, there's more backstory! Remember when Trump pulled out of that Iran nuclear deal back in 2018? Yeah, the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) that was actually working? That was basically the equivalent of Iran saying "Hey, we'll be transparent about our nuclear stuff”
The 2018 American withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under Trump's first presidency and the re-imposition of sanctions on Iran marked a turning point, demonstrating that the West's word means nothing when it conflicts with their geopolitical interests. Classic American diplomacy.
Hold up, let me get this straight. Israel – the country that has between 80-400 nuclear warheads accroding to various intelligence estimates (nobody knows the exact number because they're playing hide and seek with their nukes) – is lecturing Iran about nuclear weapons? This is the same Israel that has never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and maintains a policy of nuclear ambiguity while simultaneously demanding complete transparency from Iran.
That's like a chain smoker telling someone not to eat candy because it's bad for their health. They're out here with a nuclear arsenal that could probably flatten half the Middle East, but Iran wanting peaceful nuclear energy? OH NO, THAT'S WHERE WE DRAW THE LINE.
Meanwhile, Iran has been getting probed by international inspectors more thoroughly than people getting through airport security post-9/11. The country has been subject to the most intrusive inspection regime in the history of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA has been up in Iran's business so much they probably know what the nuclear scientists had for breakfast. And guess what they found? Zero evidence of weapons development.
But hey, why let facts ruin a good bombing campaign? Despite this unprecedented scrutiny, Iran continues to face sanctions, threats, and now direct military attacks on its peaceful nuclear infrastructure.
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY Image source: https://s41721.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IAEA-Logo-E_vertical_Blue.jpg
So Iranian missiles hit some areas in Israel, wounding over 240 people, which is genuinely awful and nobody should celebrate that. But here's where it gets interesting – what exactly did people expect Iran to do? Send a strongly worded letter?
The Western media, predictably, focuses on Israeli casualties while largely ignoring the Iranian civilians who have died in Israeli strikes. Rather conveninent, isn’t it?
The bombing of the Iranian city of Qom, the strikes on Tehran, and the destruction of Iran's nuclear facilities represent acts of aggression that dwarf anything Iran has done in response.
When someone bombs your nuclear facilities, attacks your cities, and violates your sovereignty, what choice do you have? You shoot back. It's called self-defense, and it's literally written into international law. It’s not just a right - it’s a duty. But somehow when Iran does it, they're the bad guys?
It's like punching someone in the face and then acting shocked when they punch back. "How DARE you retaliate against my unprovoked aggression!"
ISRAEL ATTACKS HIT IRANIAN NUCLEAR SITES Image source: https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/GettyImages-2219201704-e1749802691720.jpg?w=1440&q=75
This conflict cannot be understood outside the broader context of Western colonialism and imperialism in the Middle East. For over a century, Western powers have carved up the region, installed puppet regimes, stolen resources, and waged wars to maintain their dominance. Iran's resistance to this order, its refusal to bend the knee to American hegemony, is precisely why it faces such relentless hostility.
Let's take a little trip down memory lane, shall we? In 1953, Iran had this crazy idea – they wanted to control their own oil. Revolutionary concept, I know. So their democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh was like "Hey, maybe Iranian oil should benefit Iranians?"
When he tried to nationalize Iran’s oil industry in 1951, which had been under British control for ages through the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, Britain and America were like "Lol no" and staged a coup. The CIAused a mix of bribes, propaganda, and hired mobs to stir up chaos in Tehran. They spread fake news, paid off politicians and military officers, and even staged violent protests to make Mossadegh look weak and unstable.
Because apparently, democracy is only good when it gives you the results you want.
So Iran has been dealing with Western interference for over 70 years. Every time they try to chart their own course, here comes the West with regime change operations, sanctions, and now straight-up bombing campaigns. At this point, Iran's relationship with the West is like being in an abusive relationship where every time you try to leave, your ex keeps showing up to trash your house. Make this nonsense make sense.
The current conflict is thus merely the latest chapter in this long history of Western intervention and Iranian resistance.
MOHAMMAD MOSADDEGH, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF IRAN Image source: https://en.radiozamaneh.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mohammad-Mossadegh-generic-photo.jpg
Oh, this is straight-up ridiculous. The West loves talking about the "rules-based international order" – you know, the one where there are rules for everyone except them and their friends.
So when Israel launches preemptive strikes on Iran’s peaceful nuclear sites, it's "self-defense." When Iran retaliates after being attacked, it's "aggression." When Israel developed nuclear weapons in total secrecy with French assistance in the 1960s, the world looked the other way. When Iran tries to develop peaceful nuclear energy under international supervision, it's "destabilizing the region” and faces military strikes.
Iran has every right under international law to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Article IV of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty explicitly guarantees this right. By attacking Iran's nuclear facilities, Israel and the United States are not just violating Iranian sovereignty; they are undermining the entire nuclear non-proliferation regime. If anything, they are the real threats to peace, not Iran.
It's like playing Monopoly with someone who keeps changing the rules mid-game and then gets mad when you point out they're cheating.
Article 51 of the UN Charter says countries have the right to self-defense. Iran getting bombed and shooting back? Textbook self-defense. Israel bombing Iran first? That's called aggression, kids. But somehow the media has everyone believing Iran is the villain here. The gaslighting is ridiculously strong.
Let's talk about those "smart sanctions" for a hot minute. You know what's smart about sanctions that prevent cancer patients from getting chemotherapy? Absolutely nothing. Iran has been under some of the most brutal economic sanctions in modern history, affecting everything from medical supplies to airplane parts.
People have literally died because they couldn't access life-saving medications. Planes have crashed because Iran couldn't get spare parts. But sure, these are "targeted" sanctions that only hurt the government and Iranian people are supposedly “unaffected” by these. Just like how chemotherapy only targets cancer cells, right? Total galaxy brain move right there.
The sanctions are basically collective punishment, which is illegal under international law. But who's counting? Certainly not the countries imposing them. And certainly not the United Nations, where five permanent members of the Security Council still have the power of veto. So democratic, right?
Western media loves calling Iran's regional allies "terrorist proxies," but let's unpack this, shall we? Iran supports Hezbollah, which fights against Israeli occupation. Iran backs Palestinian resistance against, you know, actual occupation and apartheid. Iran supports the Houthis who are fighting against Saudi Arabia's brutal war in Yemen. When Iran backs militias in Iraq, it is supporting forces that fought against ISIS when the West was still debating what to do.
So basically, Iran is supporting people fighting against occupation and oppression. In any other context, we'd call that supporting freedom fighters. But because these groups are fighting against Western interests, they're "terrorists."
It's the same playbook they used during the Cold War. Support anti-colonial movements? You're a Soviet puppet. Support resistance to occupation today? You're an Iranian proxy. The labels change, but the game stays the same.
The current conflict threatens to destroy this axis of resistance, leaving the region entirely under Western-Israeli control. This is precisely the goal of the military campaign against Iran. It is not about nuclear weapons or terrorism—it is about eliminating the last major obstacle to complete Western domination of the Middle East.
ISRAEL AND PALESTINE ON A MAP Image source: https://sovereignlimits.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/ISR_PSEGAZ_Horz_01.png
Here's the thing – if Iran gets completely destroyed in this conflict, it sends a pretty clear message to every other country that dares to step out of line: submit or get wrecked.
Want to control your own resources? Get sanctioned. Want to develop your own technology? Get bombed. Want to support resistance movements? Get regime changed. The West has basically turned international relations into a protection racket.
This selective application of international law has profound implications beyond the Middle East. It signals to the Global South that sovereignty and self-determination are privileges reserved for Western allies, not rights inherent to all nations. It reinforces the colonial mentality that Western powers have the right to determine which governments are legitimate and which technologies other nations may possess.
The conflict also exposes the hollowness of Western claims about democracy and human rights. Iran, whatever its flaws, is defending its right to exist as an independent nation. Israel, despite its democratic institutions, is engaged in what can only be described as unprovoked aggression against a sovereign state. Yet Western leaders uniformly support Israel while condemning Iran.
But if Iran survives this latest assault – and honestly, they've survived 40+ years of this non-stop harrasment already – it proves that resistance is possible. That countries don't have to bow down to Western hegemony. That the unipolar moment is finally ending.
Look, you don't have to love Iran's government to recognize what's happening here. This isn't about endorsing every policy decision Iran makes – it's about recognizing basic principles like sovereignty, self-determination, and the right to exist without getting bombed every few years.
If we let the West destroy countries just because they refuse to play ball, where does it end? Today it's Iran, tomorrow it could be any country that decides it wants to chart its own course.
And before we make a decision, we must ask ourselves - would we have remained silent had it been any other country? Would we have responded the same way had it been France, or Germany, or Sweden whose sovereignty was threatened? No, right? But just because it’s Iran, it seems it’s “okay” not to care, as if sovereignty exists on a scale of 10 and Iran deserves less of it.
Iran's resistance isn't just about Iran – it's about proving that it's possible to say no to empire and survive. Every country in the Global South who is watching this conflict and remaining silent should pause for a moment and think "That could be us next."
The international community MUST condemn the illegal attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and demand an immediate cessation of hostilities. The UN Security Council MUST authorize an investigation into war crimes committed by both Israel and the United States the same way it does for Iran. Most importantly, the sanctions regime that has strangled Iran for decades must be lifted.
So here we are, watching another episode of "America and Friends Bomb Someone for Democracy." Iran is fighting for its right to exist as an independent country. Israel and the US are fighting to maintain their regional dominance.
One side is defending their homeland. The other side is dropping bombs on nuclear facilities from thousands of miles away. One side has been under siege for decades. The other side has unlimited military aid and diplomatic protection.
The choice is pretty clear: You can stand with the country that's been getting bullied for 70+ years and is still standing, or you can cheer for the bullies. Or there’s the third option - remain silent and watch as another victim of Western imperialism is destroyed.
The choice is yours. All I’ll say is this: Sometimes the right side of history isn't the popular side. But it's still the right side. Sovereignty is a fundamental right. Nobody should be labelled “wrong” for seeking it.
Iran's struggle is everyone's struggle against imperialism. Their victory would be a victory for every small nation that's tired of being pushed around by superpowers.
The time for solidarity is now. The time for justice is now. The time to stand with a country that’s refused to bow down to the most powerful military in the world while being strangled from all sides is NOW.
Let’s stop pretending this geopolitics is “complicated”. It’s not.
Image source: https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/10/02/multimedia/02mideast-crisis-assess-01-qvgl/02mideast-crisis-assess-01-qvgl-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale
