The writer had been looking forward to offering some light infotainment, with ‘Liking the Viking’ in pole position. But what is going on in the Middle East is too important to ignore. A large part of global society appears to be heavily against this war in and around Iran; and deeply affected. However, writing about this war is getting trickier by the minute as circumstances, excuses and other statements also change by the minute. Chaos at the table as well as on the ground.
Firstly, and for all, including the primary instigators – the USA and Israel – it can only be helpful to examine the cause of the initial attack. Not least to avoid the same mistake in the future. It was ridiculous having to accept a bland assurance from Mr Trump that Iran was going to attack the USA with nuclear weapons. Iran is an ongoing risk to peace in the world, but that did not automatically amount to an immediate threat to the United States. We need to hear far more about it, especially as we see the attacks by both sides spreading. The entire Middle East is now a war zone. The world is buzzing at the USA’s failure to anticipate and intercede at the Strait of Hormuz, with 2 000 ships stuck there, and the determination and ability of Iran and its friends to counterattack. With the rest of global society threatened by diminishing fuel supplies and prices skyrocketing, it will be the poor around the world that will suffer the most. I wonder if Donald Trump really cares about that very serious humanitarian aspect.
Then on March 17, 2026, two weeks into the war, the Head of the USA National Counter-Terrorism Center, Mr Joe Kent, publicised the resignation letter he sent to his boss, the President, Donald Trump. This is the first high-level US Government official to quit over the war, and he did so because he could not ‘in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran’. He believed the attack on Iran was unprovoked and simply pressure from Israel and the powerful pro-Israel lobby in the USA. Which is predominantly Jewish and, of course, the angry retort by high-level Trump supporters accused Kent of anti-Semitism.
When examining an act of violence, large or small, we should always prioritise the identification of motive. What motive did Kent have for making a false accusation against Israel and the indisputably powerful Jewish lobby in the USA? A multi-billion dollar film offer from Universal Pictures? No. He’s a war hero, a decorated USA Special Services officer who is Head of Counterterrorism. He has been working closely with Trump with no evidence of any quarrel. Just because he may have been somewhat right-wing politically does not mean his judgment about the absence of provocation by Iran was wrong. And if there was the identification of a secret attack on its way, Joe Kent would be one of the first to know and alert the president.
An official statement informed the public that the president is the person responsible for deciding whether the USA is under attack and gives the order to counterattack. Yes, when a nuclear attack is underway, and the generals alert the president in the middle of the night for him to press the button. But in a situation like this, you can’t have the president of the USA being allowed to just give an instruction to attack when he feels like it. And not consulting the UN or NATO about it.
The pressure has been building against the USA and Israel’s attack activities. There’s no chance of an outright win without paralysing the world. Trump is already blaming NATO countries for not assisting, despite not consulting them before attacking Iran. They are entirely free to stand by their principles. The ‘spin’ has already started. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a lengthy response on X saying: “President Trump … had strong and compelling evidence that Iran was going to attack the United States first.” Right, let’s have the full details. Clearly, Mr Kent doesn’t agree and he had the top position in counterterrorism.
Mr Trump has reinvented the word ‘demagogue.’ That is a person who uses extreme rhetoric to appeal to the prejudices of ordinary people. Fits the bill nicely. One prime example is four days ago, when he stated: “We have already effectively won the war. You don’t do a cease-fire when you’re literally obliterating the other side.” Then he talks about bombing Iran as if it’s a game. And the Republicans in Congress are not challenging him, happily moving with the shifting explanations or excuses voiced by Mr Trump, which change with the weather. Is that modern democracy? It’s more like a dictatorship.
The latest news is sending our heads into another kind of spin. Is there now some light at the end of the tunnel? Trump has extended from 48 hours to five days his threat of severe action if Iran fails to unblock the Strait of Hormuz. Then, the next minute, he says there are peace talks proceeding with Iran, while Iran’s Parliament Speaker denies it. Trump is probably right, but perhaps Iran doesn’t want to assent cheaply. They’ve been hit hard and, very sadly, lost a lot of innocent people and infrastructure. Just like the climate has gone Global Crazy, now it’s extended to the behaviour of the big leaders.
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