When the United States and the Jewish entity launched their second war on Iran, at the end of last February, America’s objective was to subdue the regime through a short-duration conflict, transforming Iran from a state orbiting within America’s sphere into a subordinate state that serves its interests and aligns with its blueprint for the Middle East, or at the very least to sever its extended arms and fingers in the region and dismantle the components of its military power that threaten America’s presence there, while also posing an ever-present threat to the Jewish entity at any moment. Toppling the regime of Iran as a whole is not its objective, for it recognizes that no alternative political force is capable of ruling the country. Consequently, the collapse of the regime in a state composed of diverse ethnic, national, and sectarian components primed for secession would lead to chaos that serves neither America’s interests nor those of any major power or neighboring regional state bordering Iran.

America launched this war, targeting the regime’s top tier leaders and military commanders in a widespread, sudden, and shocking manner, starting with the Supreme Leader himself. It also targeted a huge amount of defense, missile, air and naval equipment, in the hope that this shock would cause a rift in the regime and its military power, so that those remaining would rush to knock on the door of negotiations to prevent collapse. It was hoped that America would dictate to them its conditions that would lead to its coercion and submission without collapse. However, the surprise was that the Iranian military structure proved its cohesion and ability to continue, despite all the losses it suffered in its military leadership and its military machine, and despite the annihilation of most of the symbols of the political regime. In fact, Trump’s repeated boasting that he had destroyed everything, and killed everyone, to the point where he no longer knew whom to address in Iran left, the military commanders with no choice but to adopt military confrontation, driven firstly by the desire for revenge, secondly by the imperative of steadfastness, and thirdly by plans to inflict the maximum harm and damage on the enemy. Their goals were not limited to inflicting military harm and destruction only, but they added to them the economic element of twisting the arm of the American administration by targeting vital installations in the Gulf oil states. The most dangerous and painful was the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which led to a rise in energy prices in the entire world, including America.

Thus, America and the Jewish state have involved themselves in military and economic exhaustion, which reflects as political exhaustion for Trump, his presidential term, and his Republican Party. After realizing the impasse he was in, Trump began repeatedly talking about the Iranians’ desire to negotiate, while the Iranians exposed his lie as they denied their attempt to negotiate. Whenever he was unable to subjugate them and lure them into negotiations in an attempt to get out of the impasse of the war, Trump began looking for new ways out to declare the end of the war without appearing to be a loser. Trump has not found them yet, especially with NATO abandoning him, led by the countries of Europe. Here he is, after this impasse, resorting to making the opening of the Strait of Hormuz a primary goal of his war, so that if Trump achieves that, he will show himself as ending the war victorious. Trump’s soldiers found no way to achieve this goal by occupying vital Iranian islands near the strait, and perhaps some of the Iranian coast. So, Trump began mobilizing his ground forces in the region. He is now promising the Americans and the rest of the world that this ground operation will not require more than weeks, and will not require months. Is this goal guaranteed to be achieved? If achieved, will this guarantee an end to the war and the opening of the Strait?

The answer is that the goal of invading the islands and some coastal regions is not guaranteed to be achieved, nor is it, if achieved, guaranteeing an end to the war and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. A ground war might open the door to hell for American soldiers, as they would be exposed to Iranian fire at close range, whether during the attempted invasion or after its completion. The potential success of the ground invasion will not guarantee the opening of the strait, because Iran will remain able to target any ship that it does not wish to cross the strait, as its ability is not conditional on its presence at sea, on the islands, or even on the nearby coastal regions. It will be better able to target American soldiers on its islands and territories. Indeed, it will remain able to continue sending its missiles and drones to the targets it is now bombing in the Gulf states, and the occupation of Palestine. The bottom line is that the ways Trump is resorting to now may be nothing but an additional impasse, increasing his military, economic, and political predicament.

The most shameful element in the spectacle of this war is the stance of the states surrounding both Iran and Palestine. The very sin, or rather the betrayal, perpetrated by the Tehran regime when it failed to synchronize with Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, and instead disavowed it at the moment the occupying Jewish entity trembled, choosing to abandon and betray Gaza as well as its ally in Lebanon for two full years, under the slogan of “strategic patience,” is the identical betrayal now being committed by the states of the region, from Pakistan to Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria… and the list goes on. Every one of them has before its eyes the historic opportunity represented by the predicament now engulfing America and the Jewish entity. Here are the two of them unable to defeat a single state whose military power does not even come close to that of Pakistan or Turkey. If these rulers possessed even a trace of Deen and chivalry, or even a modicum of cunning based on selfish opportunism, they would have recognized it as the golden chance to join the roster of heroes, at the lowest possible cost. However, the truth is that they are cowards who do not deserve this honor, and they know that they are too puny to bear this honor, because they ascended their thrones to be assistants to the Pharaoh of the era, and to be members of the dirtiest international family that history has ever witnessed.

Commentators will immediately comment on this, saying that this is war on Iran, which has always betrayed the people of the region, so why are the Muslims to fight alongside Iran? The answer, stated with complete clarity and without sparing anyone’s feelings, is that this is the viewpoint of someone who cannot see beyond the tip of his nose. Fighting the Jewish entity to liberate the Blessed Land was a Shariah obligation decades before this war. It was a Shariah obligation seventy-eight years ago, that is, since the Jews occupied most of Palestine. Moreover, this war is not America’s war against Iran alone. Instead, this war is a stage within a giant American campaign against the entire region to change its face and subjugate it in an unprecedented way. Just as the rulers of Iran today must regret their treacherous “strategic patience” towards the slaughtered Gaza, these cowards will regret their stance when their turn comes, and then the Arab proverb warning, “I was devoured the day the white bull was devoured” will be of no use to them!

* Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir