The Iran War Has Only Just Begun

There’s a tragic familiarity in watching the architects of global power repeat the same failing rituals, as though force alone has ever been enough to compel surrender in the face of ideology and nationalism. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the sudden flare-up between Israel and Iran, which is a confrontation decades in the making and infinitely more dangerous than most will admit. After America’s bombing campaign last night, which saw the destruction of Iran’s three largest nuclear facilities, a victorious Donald Trump released a message calling for peace. Supporters of the action are drunk with perceived triumph. For others with the ability to remember past the previous news cycle, the fear that this win is the start of a bloody and expensive new season of “nation building” is inescapable.