U.S. attacks on Iran have put itself on a dangerous path

Editor's note: William Jones, a special commentator for CGTN, is a former Washington bureau chief for Executive Intelligence Review News Service and a non-resident fellow of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

After several days of escalated tensions in the Middle East, Israel and Iran announced a ceasefire on Tuesday. But the unilateral U.S. attacks on Iran created a dangerous precedent and have placed doubt on U.S. President Donald Trump's intentions of becoming a "peacemaker." Trust in his intentions – and in his words – is now at its lowest level.

The recent bombing of key Iranian nuclear sites by the United States has radically changed the dynamic and the danger in the region and the world. Following the servile acquiescence to the genocidal policy of the Israeli government against the Palestinian population living in Gaza, the U.S. has now moved further in the direction of the policy taken by Israel, which dreams of creating a greater Israel that includes not only the Gaza Strip but possibly the West Bank. Perhaps the ultimate aim is to expel the Palestinians for good, thus thwarting the explicit will of the international community, which continues to call for a two-state solution in that region.

Officials in the Trump administration are now crowing wildly about how the U.S. has effectively "destroyed" any Iranian nuclear capability, including the unconscionable assassination of some of their top scientists. Yet, it is not clear what actually has been destroyed by the might of the U.S. using their "bunker-buster" bombs.

Stories about the Iranians having already moved much of their operations from the heavily bombed Fordo nuclear site have proliferated widely. Before the International Atomic Energy Agency had an opportunity to visit the facility, it is unlikely that we would have known precisely how great the damage had actually been. Iran has reacted responsibly, responding with an attack on a U.S. military base, but with forewarning and with the probable understanding that there would be no serious damage incurred and consequently no heavier strikes against Iran by the United States.

While Russian President Vladimir Putin has not reacted strongly to the U.S. bombing, there has been a good deal of concern in Moscow about the overall U.S. policy in the Middle East. And Trump's very mooted possibility of "regime change" in Iran was somewhat disconcerting for Russians who have heard the phrase used so widely by the neoconservatives in the Trump administration.

In the U.S. Congress, previously isolated calls for a new war powers resolution, which would significantly restrict the powers of the president to start new conflicts, have suddenly gained traction. The beleaguered Democrats have now been given a cause that could reverberate among their voters, including many of Trump's "Make America Great Again" supporters, who sincerely believed that the Trump administration was intent on ending the persistent wars of the United States. Their confidence in the administration's firm commitment to that has received a severe setback with the unprecedented and unexpected attack on Iran.

Moreover, the danger of an even more pervasive and long-lasting conflict in the Middle East, still the central region for the world's oil supplies, would no doubt unnerve the financial markets the Trump administration deems so important for its "success."

While Trump has paid scant attention to the discussions ongoing in international institutions, particularly at the UN, the former position of the United States as a bastion of the post-war world has been seriously shaken. Few people completely trust the words of an administration that has proven so deceitful, saying one thing and doing the opposite.

The "No King" demonstrations that occurred on the same day Trump celebrated his birthday in Washington by holding a grand military parade drew far greater crowds than the tanks rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue, greeting the president. That number discrepancy should serve as a clear weathervane regarding how opinion is trending.

The Trump administration would do well to draw lessons from history as it navigates this period of uncertainty. It must recognize the dangers of overreach, pushing past the limits tolerated by both domestic audiences and the international community. As ancient Greek wisdom warns, those who become blinded by arrogance are often led to their own downfall. In this light, the bombing of Iran appeared less a calculated act of strategy and more a reckless move bordering on irrationality.

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