Is the Invasion of Iran Confirmed?

24/07/2019

With the ascension of yet another Western example of absolute buffoonery – yes, I mean Boris Johnson in the UK – the question of an invasion of Iran becomes even more troubling. Tensions have been rising between the US and Iran’s regime, an escalation one can hold the US solely responsible for, but which Iran has acted increasingly authoritarian in response to (it’s almost like there are similarities with the situation in Venezuela, where the US tries to stir civil unrest to ‘justify’ toppling governments…). So why is the UK leadership important?

Things do appear to be reaching a peak. John Bolton, one of the US’ most dangerous hawks, appears to have dragged the UK into the fray with the recent oil tanker capture near Gibraltar, and a number of people were arrested in Iran, accused of working for the CIA; some have already been executed, but I haven’t seen any confirmed details as of yet, only mentions of charges to be punished with the death penalty. US troops have entered Saudi Arabia with the permission of the King.

When the US pulled out of the Iran deal last year, the isolated country was actually quite restrained, and many of the other signatories were concerned about what the US’ motives were. It has been obvious for some time now – since 2017 – that Iran had become a target, but now that Iran has been forced to respond there is no more doubt. Iran has quite rightly called the US’ sanctions an act of economic terrorism, and Iranians are doubly concerned given the aforementioned authoritarian responses affecting them (not, as the US benevolently tried to claim, the government itself).

But while the UK appears to have been dragged into this conflict, the cynic in me believes Johnson – because we all knew he’d win the top job – wanted a reason to be involved. His hardline Brexit stance and similarities with Trump’s populist policies and ideas suggest he’s the perfect candidate for helping justify an unjustifiable war. In 2003, Tony Blair and Australian PM John Howard backed the US’ invasion of Iraq, an illegal war that sparked much of the current strife (I say that generously, as you could trace these events all the way back to WW1 if you wished).

Could Johnson taking on the role of UK Prime Minister and Australia’s Coalition government once more lend these two countries to revive the supporting role in US imperialism? With hardly a day in office, it might be too harsh to accuse Johnson of such debauchery so early, but how can things go any other way? The US wants a war with Iran; Australia is a happy, susceptible little puppy; the UK has deluded visions of grandeur, looking to the US Empire as a way to relive their dead imperialist history.

Oft attributed to Mark Twain but never confirmed, I’ll finish with this quote:

“History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes.”

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