Israel's bombing of Iran - whether under a religious regime or a secular one - is ultimately futile. A subtle point that should not be forgotten is that the Iranian nuclear program is rooted in national pride, strategic necessity and historical memory, not ideology or necessarily hostility toward Israel.
In fact its nuclear programme began under the Shah , a pro-western monarch, long before the Islamic Republic, and continues today because many Iranians - religious or secular - see nuclear capability as a guarantee of sovereignty and respect in a hostile world. This is not about Israel. Its about Iran's place in the world
Peter, for the first time ever your well intentioned provide-context analysis here mystifies more than it clarifies. You begin with an unexamined assumption that Iran had/has an intention to arm itself with nuclear weapons. In reality, the most that impartial experts have ever alleged is that Iran strives to be a "threshold state", i.e. to have an indigenous nuclear infrastructure that could one day advance to a weapons stage. Like Japan, South Korea, Canada, etc. Tehran's central logic against weaponization has always been that a nuclear arsenal did nothing to prevent Soviet Union's downfall.
If you suspect a weaponization intent because of Iran's uranium enrichment to levels unneeded for civilian use, let's consider also a less sinister explanation: a quick online search tells us Iran enrichment to 60% purity came one year AFTER the Trump pulled out of JCPOA (one among many impetuous reversals intended to spite Obama). During the interim Tehran waited in vain for Europe's multilateral INSTEX initiative to circumvent US secondary sanctions against trade with Iran. With INSTEX a total failure, it's not far fetched to argue that Iran then decided to raise uranium purity level as its only recourse to incentivize an American return to a balanced nuclear deal and lifting of sanctions.
Your intended context should include also a broader overlooked detail about conventional (non-nuclear) deterrence: Iran's self reliance in missile production. A US-led total embargo has for over four decades successfully prevented the sale of military jets to Iran, forcing it to develop an impressive arsenal of high accuracy intermediate range missiles that Western allies point to in discussing nuclear non-proliferation. None of Iran's regional adversaries face any such restriction.
There's also the fact Libya's voluntary and Iraq's involuntary dismantling of their nascent nuclear industries preceded the West's devastation of both countries in the 1990s. The lesson Tehran learned: playing nice does not buy safety.
You also left out the well documented Iranian collaboration when the Bush administration massively invaded neighboring Afghanistan and Iraq. According to most observers, Tehran's acquiescence-and-more was intended to signal to Washington that Iran was ready to discuss rapprochement. Iran's foreign minister, Kamal Kharrazi, even sent a now-famous offer to resolve all contentious issues (the Swiss foreign ministry delivered the letter), only to be rebuffed by the hostile inclusion of Iran in Bush's "Axis of Evil" in an address to a joint session of Congress. Lesson learned: never again trust the Americans.
Peter, you're the bravest and best informed commentator/campaigner on Palestinian rights. I have with gratitude learned more from you than words can convey. I hope this note will help you analyze the Iran-Israel-US tensions with more nuance in the future.
------------------------------
Btw, Iran has not attacked another country militarily in almost 250 years (yes, two hundred fifty years). But it has been militarily invaded numerous time. Please prove this to yourself with a quick little online search.
Thank you Peter. I have seen nothing about these attacks by Israel. It really seems Israel is attacking every where just because they can. I agree with you that in the long run it will not serve them or the world. Alex Chanler
It depends. If the Mullahs ultimately fall and this is the catalyst, public opinion may change.
Unfortunately Peter is right, 9/11 put enormous pressure on the international order and now I think it’s basically gone. All the institutions put in place after WW2 have been largely ineffective in these Middle East conflicts and there’s no Plan B other than people should be nicer and better and do the right thing.
Speaking to Israel, regional hegemony is finite in time. Iran has potential strong friends. China needs to have the ME protected to deal with the use of force on Taiwan. It is conceivable that China will establish bases in the ME sooner rather than later, and they may provide greater protection from Israeli belligerence. Same with Russia. The sympathy of the USA is diminishing, and global sympathy toward the USA is also declining. In two decades, the United States will no longer have global hegemony. Tehran does not need Nuclear weapons with those partners around. Israel is a first-strike target because it has nuclear weapons.
Your words continue to reflect deep wisdom and pragmatism. But the question remains: who’s really listening? While many individuals seem to hear you, those in power, especially in the global Jewish communities, governments, and institutions, continue to turn a blind eye, and/or condone. Hence, your Israel's "idol" label... This is becoming more fitting with each passing day.
Israel’s actions have long surpassed any rational bounds; its genocidal behavior stands as undeniable proof.
Yes, Israel may be winning battles. But it is unmistakably losing the war.
A consideration I do not often see addressed is that having does not mean using. Are Iranians so different from us healthy, normal, peace loving Westerners that they would actually USE the bomb? After all ...wait we did use it didn't we? And in the Cold War we had at least five close scrapes but MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) seems to still be operational even today. Only people like Putin would even bandy the threat...what makes people think the Iranians would ever want to use it? The only country that considers itself in a state of perpetual existential peril is Israel, if anyone is likely to use the bomb it is them...Now, indeed, the Iranians are through with treaties and negotiation and will go full tilt for the real thing, why not straight to hydrogen? Though I hope not.
Protests Basically Stem From One Thing Cheeto Cheated
In seeing the articles that are coming out about how the Nazis aka GOP corrupted the 2024 election I'm thinking that unconsciously the American electorate was cheated out of a free and fair election in 2024 and they are pissed not only because of the authoritarian regime but that they never voted for this bullshit that Trump is pulling as a Unitary Executive ie dictator
Here's a list of sources questioning the 2024 results
Election subversion Multipronged Nazi approach
Rockland County Board of Elections vs SMART Legislation to be heard Sept 2025
Israel's bombing of Iran - whether under a religious regime or a secular one - is ultimately futile. A subtle point that should not be forgotten is that the Iranian nuclear program is rooted in national pride, strategic necessity and historical memory, not ideology or necessarily hostility toward Israel.
In fact its nuclear programme began under the Shah , a pro-western monarch, long before the Islamic Republic, and continues today because many Iranians - religious or secular - see nuclear capability as a guarantee of sovereignty and respect in a hostile world. This is not about Israel. Its about Iran's place in the world
Peter, for the first time ever your well intentioned provide-context analysis here mystifies more than it clarifies. You begin with an unexamined assumption that Iran had/has an intention to arm itself with nuclear weapons. In reality, the most that impartial experts have ever alleged is that Iran strives to be a "threshold state", i.e. to have an indigenous nuclear infrastructure that could one day advance to a weapons stage. Like Japan, South Korea, Canada, etc. Tehran's central logic against weaponization has always been that a nuclear arsenal did nothing to prevent Soviet Union's downfall.
If you suspect a weaponization intent because of Iran's uranium enrichment to levels unneeded for civilian use, let's consider also a less sinister explanation: a quick online search tells us Iran enrichment to 60% purity came one year AFTER the Trump pulled out of JCPOA (one among many impetuous reversals intended to spite Obama). During the interim Tehran waited in vain for Europe's multilateral INSTEX initiative to circumvent US secondary sanctions against trade with Iran. With INSTEX a total failure, it's not far fetched to argue that Iran then decided to raise uranium purity level as its only recourse to incentivize an American return to a balanced nuclear deal and lifting of sanctions.
Your intended context should include also a broader overlooked detail about conventional (non-nuclear) deterrence: Iran's self reliance in missile production. A US-led total embargo has for over four decades successfully prevented the sale of military jets to Iran, forcing it to develop an impressive arsenal of high accuracy intermediate range missiles that Western allies point to in discussing nuclear non-proliferation. None of Iran's regional adversaries face any such restriction.
There's also the fact Libya's voluntary and Iraq's involuntary dismantling of their nascent nuclear industries preceded the West's devastation of both countries in the 1990s. The lesson Tehran learned: playing nice does not buy safety.
You also left out the well documented Iranian collaboration when the Bush administration massively invaded neighboring Afghanistan and Iraq. According to most observers, Tehran's acquiescence-and-more was intended to signal to Washington that Iran was ready to discuss rapprochement. Iran's foreign minister, Kamal Kharrazi, even sent a now-famous offer to resolve all contentious issues (the Swiss foreign ministry delivered the letter), only to be rebuffed by the hostile inclusion of Iran in Bush's "Axis of Evil" in an address to a joint session of Congress. Lesson learned: never again trust the Americans.
Peter, you're the bravest and best informed commentator/campaigner on Palestinian rights. I have with gratitude learned more from you than words can convey. I hope this note will help you analyze the Iran-Israel-US tensions with more nuance in the future.
------------------------------
Btw, Iran has not attacked another country militarily in almost 250 years (yes, two hundred fifty years). But it has been militarily invaded numerous time. Please prove this to yourself with a quick little online search.
Saying that iran didn't want a war is simply wrong. They massively armed hezbolla, yeman and hamas.
Arming a group which is at a strategic disadvantage is not indicative of wanting war.
Thank you Peter. I have seen nothing about these attacks by Israel. It really seems Israel is attacking every where just because they can. I agree with you that in the long run it will not serve them or the world. Alex Chanler
It depends. If the Mullahs ultimately fall and this is the catalyst, public opinion may change.
Unfortunately Peter is right, 9/11 put enormous pressure on the international order and now I think it’s basically gone. All the institutions put in place after WW2 have been largely ineffective in these Middle East conflicts and there’s no Plan B other than people should be nicer and better and do the right thing.
Speaking to Israel, regional hegemony is finite in time. Iran has potential strong friends. China needs to have the ME protected to deal with the use of force on Taiwan. It is conceivable that China will establish bases in the ME sooner rather than later, and they may provide greater protection from Israeli belligerence. Same with Russia. The sympathy of the USA is diminishing, and global sympathy toward the USA is also declining. In two decades, the United States will no longer have global hegemony. Tehran does not need Nuclear weapons with those partners around. Israel is a first-strike target because it has nuclear weapons.
Is this Israel’s “jump the shark” moment?
I hope you are doing well, wherever you are.
Your words continue to reflect deep wisdom and pragmatism. But the question remains: who’s really listening? While many individuals seem to hear you, those in power, especially in the global Jewish communities, governments, and institutions, continue to turn a blind eye, and/or condone. Hence, your Israel's "idol" label... This is becoming more fitting with each passing day.
Israel’s actions have long surpassed any rational bounds; its genocidal behavior stands as undeniable proof.
Yes, Israel may be winning battles. But it is unmistakably losing the war.
A consideration I do not often see addressed is that having does not mean using. Are Iranians so different from us healthy, normal, peace loving Westerners that they would actually USE the bomb? After all ...wait we did use it didn't we? And in the Cold War we had at least five close scrapes but MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) seems to still be operational even today. Only people like Putin would even bandy the threat...what makes people think the Iranians would ever want to use it? The only country that considers itself in a state of perpetual existential peril is Israel, if anyone is likely to use the bomb it is them...Now, indeed, the Iranians are through with treaties and negotiation and will go full tilt for the real thing, why not straight to hydrogen? Though I hope not.
Excellent NYT column. Would you share it on Substack? 🤔
so smart, Peter.
Protests Basically Stem From One Thing Cheeto Cheated
In seeing the articles that are coming out about how the Nazis aka GOP corrupted the 2024 election I'm thinking that unconsciously the American electorate was cheated out of a free and fair election in 2024 and they are pissed not only because of the authoritarian regime but that they never voted for this bullshit that Trump is pulling as a Unitary Executive ie dictator
Here's a list of sources questioning the 2024 results
Election subversion Multipronged Nazi approach
Rockland County Board of Elections vs SMART Legislation to be heard Sept 2025
https://bit.ly/43Hm61y Dissent in Bloom Substack June 2025
https://bit.ly/4n3TeIr SMART Elections Substack 2.25
http://bit.ly/4kZqXAH Morningstar coverage 5.25
https://bit.ly/43BfwJJ Economic Times 6.25
https://bit.ly/4l5EAP6 Reddit article 4.25 Review of voting in Pa and NV
Greg Palast Vigilante Challenge https://bit.ly/3XUt1kr or bit.ly/43K4Gl2 have to pay to get the documentary/audio of interview bit.ly/41UelTx this is free
Election Truth Alliance(ETA) ongoing statistical analysis of precincts in swing states
website electiontruthalliance.org videos are very convincing
Russian interference https://bit.ly/4l6AlCU\
plus several public statements by Cheeto and the Muskrat implying election interference