NST Leader: US attack on Iran
ON Sunday, the United States, a nuclear-armed state, went on an unprovoked war with Iran at the behest of another nuclear-armed state led by alleged war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu.
US President Donald Trump's decision to bomb three nuclear sites in Iran is a grave mistake, with even graver consequences for the rest of the world. One such unintended outcome is the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The message of the two unprovoked wars is this: if you do not have nuclear weapons, we will attack you. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un must be wanting to tell Iran's President Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, "I told you so".
Iran signed a nuclear deal with the US and five other countries in 2015, but Trump shredded it. Iran was in the midst of negotiating another with the US when, on June 12, the bloodthirsty Netanyahu attacked Iran.
There is an irony here: he doesn't want Iran to have nuclear weapons when Israel is having 90 warheads — some say 400. Why is it that a genocidal Zionist regime can have nuclear weapons and others can't?
Now Trump, echoing the words of Netanyahu, is telling Iran to sign on the dotted lines at bomb-point. Is this how sovereign nations are required to negotiate international treaties from now on?
We have to say this: the US, by joining Israel in its project of annihilation in the Middle East, is undermining the very foundation of international law, which it had a hand in crafting. Welcome to the New World Disorder, where the powerful dictate the rules to the less powerful. Where "might is right" thrives, justice lies interred with its bones.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is right in saying that Washington's involvement in the conflict that Israel started is worsening the situation.
Israel's unprovoked attack on Iran is illegal and so is the US attack on Iran. What the US should have done is to stop Israel's attack on Iran, but instead it is joining the rogue state in clear breach of everything the United Nations stands for.
The response from the leaders of the international community, especially from Europe, is pathetic: "Israel has the right to defend itself", they echoed each other like they were reading an ad copy crafted by Tel Aviv.
Now who attacked whom? Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain, which has, historically, much to do with the annihilation perpetrated by Israel since its stealthy creation 77 years ago, responded, like the European leaders silenced by the Zionist regime in Tel Aviv, thus: we support the US strike on Iran.
This is an unmistakable sign of nuclear-armed European nations lining up with the US and Israel to attack Iran, a non-nuclear sovereign country. Just like the unprovoked invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, many against one.
The architects of these two invasions are strutting the Earth like the hubristic Pharaoh of old. The International Criminal Court is neither allowed to investigate their alleged war crimes nor prosecute the modern-day Pharaohs for committing them.
We do not know how Iran will respond, but as it says, the attacks will have "everlasting consequences". A bungling few have made the rest pick up the tab.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Analysis: NATO summit highlights internal tensions amid Trump's defense spending push, says experts
By Zhao Xiaona, Larry Neild LONDON, June 23 (Xinhua) -- As NATO leaders gather this week in The Hague for the alliance's first-ever summit hosted by the Netherlands, attention is shifting toward the alliance's cohesion and internal dynamics, rather than facing external policy challenges. According to the agenda, although the summit officially runs for two days, from June 24 to 25, the key discussions are expected to take place over the course of a single day. The agenda is narrowly focused on U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to raise defense spending targets to 5 percent of GDP - a plan that has received a mixed response from European capitals, highlighting deeper concerns about NATO's unity, military capabilities, and long-term strategic direction. "This summit is highly Trump-centric," said Stefan Wolff, professor of international security at the University of Birmingham. "It's been compressed to a single day, with a single agenda item, designed to limit unpredictability. That reflects NATO's institutional anxiety - a defensive effort to retain the U.S. as a participant, even at the cost of long-term planning." Wolff added that the summit's tightly controlled structure underscores fears that Trump might exit prematurely or withdraw support if discussions stray beyond his specified terms. "The structure of this meeting is intentionally risk-averse," he said. "It's not about building consensus - it's about avoiding disruption." Although Trump's demand for higher defense spending dominates the agenda, recent unilateral U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have further diverted NATO's focus from its foundational mission - strengthening Europe's defense architecture. "The U.S. acted alone, and Europe simply wasn't part of that conversation," Wolff said. "Europe still lacks strategic enablers - intelligence, long-range transport, rapid deployment, and command systems. These aren't just budget issues - they are structural gaps." Wolff warned that even if NATO members meet the proposed 5 percent target, without prioritization and coordinated defense-industrial development, such spending risks becoming "financial inflation without strategic output." Internal divisions further complicate the alliance's ability to act cohesively. While some member states push for a more proactive collective defense role, others remain reluctant to commit to common strategies or timelines. "If NATO cannot agree on its main purpose, then even well-funded forces will lack shared direction," Wolff said. "Without unity, the 5 percent target becomes just another political gesture to buy time." John Bryson, chair of Enterprise and Economic Geography at Birmingham Business School, the University of Birmingham, described the summit as a crucial test for Europe's defense ambitions. "This is a test of whether Europe can grow beyond its dependency on the United States and shape a credible defense model of its own," he said. Bryson noted that raising defense spending is not a panacea for NATO. "This is the paradox of deterrence - you spend vast sums on weapons that may never be used, and that doesn't automatically translate into security. " He emphasized that NATO should be a stabilizing force. "It is not a war-fighting alliance, but a war-prevention structure. The moment it loses its cohesion, it loses its meaning." Both Bryson and Wolff agreed that the alliance faces fragile internal conditions. Trump's influence, they said, has driven NATO toward short-term reassurance at the expense of long-term strategic development. Bryson also noted that Washington's growing involvement in Middle East conflicts risks further distracting NATO from its core European focus. "Venturing beyond its geographic scope could dilute NATO's identity as a defensive pact - and that, above all, must be safeguarded," Bryson said.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Exclusive-Americans worry conflict with Iran could escalate, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
Iran's and U.S.' flags are seen printed on paper in this illustration taken January 27, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Americans are anxious over a brewing conflict between the U.S. and Iran and worry the violence could escalate after President Donald Trump ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday. Some 79% of Americans surveyed said they worried "that Iran may target U.S. civilians in response to the U.S. airstrikes." The three-day poll, which began after the U.S. airstrikes and ended early Monday before Iran said it attacked a U.S. air base in Qatar, showed Americans were similarly concerned about their country's military personnel stationed in the Middle East. Some 84% said they worried in general about the growing conflict. The poll, which surveyed 1,139 U.S. adults nationwide, underscored deep divisions in America over what Washington should do next and highlighted the political risks faced by Trump, whose presidential approval rating fell to 41%, the lowest level of his current term in office that began in January. The poll had a 3 percentage point margin of error. The U.S. bombing took place just two days ago and the public's view of the conflict could evolve in the days and weeks ahead. Only 32% of respondents said they supported continued U.S. airstrikes, compared to 49% who said they were opposed. However, within Trump's Republican Party, 62% backed further strikes and 22% were opposed. Republicans were more deeply divided when asked if they supported an immediate end to U.S. involvement in the conflict with Iran, with 42% saying Washington should end its involvement now and 40% opposed to the idea. Significant majorities of Democrats were opposed to bombing Iran further and in favor of ending the conflict immediately. Trump ordered the U.S. military to bomb Iran's nuclear sites on Saturday, a dramatic and risky shift in foreign policy following repeated pledges by Trump to avoid military interventions in major foreign wars. The president's overall approval rating, down 1 percentage point from 42% earlier in the month, has largely held steady in recent months, but is below the 47% reading in a Reuters/Ipsos poll just after he returned to the White House. (Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell)
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Romania's broad coalition government wins parliament confidence vote
FILE PHOTO: Romania's Ilie Bolojan walks to attend a European Union summit in Brussels, Belgium March 20, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo BUCHAREST (Reuters) -Liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan won a parliamentary confidence vote on Monday, ending months of political deadlock with a coalition government that aims to lower the EU's highest budget deficit to avoid losing its investment grade credit rating. The European Union and NATO state has been rocked by political instability in the wake of a presidential election which was canceled in December and re-run in May, with market turmoil boosting borrowing costs and crashing the leu currency. Bolojan's nomination to head a broad pro-European coalition government by centrist President Nicusor Dan, who ultimately won the divisive election at the detriment of the far right, comes after a month of political wrangling over the fiscal measures needed to lower the deficit. While the coalition will have broad support - around 67% of parliament, all but three hard-right groupings - its endurance will depend on unpopular tax hikes and whether the four parties enforce agreed cuts to state spending. "Some of these decisions will not be popular," Bolojan told lawmakers before the vote. "But we must take into account that without the measures Romania would enter decisively into an area of fiscal uncertainty and risk losing touch with European development and higher costs for people and companies." Finance Minister Alexandru Lazare said the government will discuss all proposed measures with the European Commission before approving them from August, adding a mix of spending cuts and tax hikes were needed to restore credibility. The government plans to keep the main value added tax - which Brussels, ratings agencies and analysts said should be raised to lower the deficit - at 19% for now, while two lower 5% and 9% rates will be consolidated in a single 9% one. The government aims to introduce a temporary tax on banks' "excessive profit" from 2026, and introduce new levies on gains from crypto currencies and social media platforms. About a fifth of public sector jobs will be cut. Higher excise duties and property taxes, an increased dividend tax, taxing pensions higher than 4000 lei ($915) monthly and listing minority stakes in state companies on the bourse are among the proposed measures. The government includes Bolojan's Liberal Party, centre-left Social Democrats, centre-right Save Romania Union and ethnic Hungarian party UDMR, with the four parties also backed by national minorities in parliament. The leaders of the four parties agreed to rotate prime ministers before a 2028 parliamentary election, with Bolojan swapping with a leftist Social Democrat in April 2027. The Social Democrats are Romania's largest party and a ruling majority cannot be achieved without them, but the PM rotation could be a destabilizing step as policies and positions are reassessed. ($1 = 4.3738 lei) (Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Aidan Lewis and Toby Chopra)
