The United States and Israel have jointly attacked Iran. The U.S. president had been threatening to strike Iran for several weeks. The United States had also amassed large-scale military power around Iran. At the same time, negotiations on nuclear issues were ongoing between the United States and Iran. After the first round of nuclear talks in Oman, diplomatic representatives of the two sides were engaged in negotiations in Geneva recently. The outcomes of both rounds of nuclear negotiations were considered satisfactory. However, after some time this situation turned into unilateral aggression. Israel and the United States jointly attacked Iran. Such an attack will prove to be a lasting threat to peace in the Middle East, and it will also destroy the possibility of resolving conflicts through negotiations and diplomacy.

Attempts to resolve problems through diplomacy and mediation are a staple of the international community. However, for the second time under the administration of President Donald Trump, the United States abandoned negotiations and launched a missile attack. This has set a terrible example for the world and could have very serious consequences for global peace. This behaviour proves that the world is practically not governed by any order. Rather, the law of might is right prevails, and no one is raising a voice against this principle, nor is anyone taking steps to change it. Instead, this lawless approach appears to be actively supported.

At present, major international institutions such as the United Nations have a great responsibility to play their role, yet the United Nations has itself become a symbol of helplessness in the face of the United States and Israel. After the Second World War, this international organisation was established with the aim of devising a system to run the world with discipline and the rule of law, so that the world emerging from the ruins of the First and Second World Wars could start anew with a sense of security. But now it seems as if the influential nations have little interest in it. The UN Security Council is now largely limited to issuing condemnations, a failure that poses a grave threat to international peace and human safety.

In the wake of war, major powers often sabotage humanitarian laws, suffocating the survival of civilian populations and even affecting neighbouring countries in the region by targeting vital infrastructure. Oil refineries are attacked and banned weapons are alleged to be used, further worsening environmental and humanitarian conditions in countries already facing war crimes. In the Israel and U.S. attacks on Iran, many objectives appear to be pursued simultaneously. It was clear that Iran would respond to the U.S. and Israeli attacks by targeting U.S. bases in the region, and Iran has begun doing so. This could lead to attacks on U.S. bases in four or five countries, further intensifying the crisis of trust between Iran and the Gulf Arab states.

Disagreements within the Gulf region are already evident in the statements of Iran’s neighbouring countries. Iran is being urged by Gulf states to stop targeting neighbouring countries and to exercise restraint, while Iran frames its retaliatory strikes as a necessary response to joint U.S. and Israeli aggression. Iran has also emphasised that this is a moment of testing for Islamic countries to unite against foreign intervention and defend the sovereignty of regional nations.

At this time, many believe that Islamic countries should stand with Iran and support it. If the Islamic world does not support Iran today, it raises questions about whether Muslim nations will support each other in the future. The U.S.–Israeli attack on Iran is seen by many as a warning to the entire Muslim Ummah, yet no strong collective response is emerging. Beyond a few formal statements and expressions of concern from Islamic countries, little action has been taken, even as people across many Muslim countries continue to protest.

Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has cut off more than 20 percent of the global oil supply chain that serves much of Asia’s energy needs. Iran has claimed that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be allowed to countries that expel U.S. and Israeli diplomats. The United States and Israel have also reportedly martyred Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has announced revenge for Khamenei’s martyrdom and has made it clear that a new wave of attacks on Israeli and American bases will be launched.

In view of this rapidly changing situation, leaders of Muslim countries must reconsider their positions. Many voices argue that they should stand with Iran rather than align with the United States and Israel. If Iran stands alone in this war today, some fear that other nations could face similar pressures tomorrow, because great powers often pursue their own interests first, and those who are allies today may become targets tomorrow.

Attiya MunawerThe writer is an activist and environmentalist. She covers human rights and politico-environmental issues. She tweets @AttiyaMunawer and can be reached at attiabutt121@gmail.com

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