Dear Al Jazeera: The US-Israel War on Iran is Not Hypothetical, It is Underway.
Al Jazeera’s recent article, “Will Russian oil be the biggest winner in the US-Israel war on Iran?,” discusses how rising oil prices could benefit Russia if a conflict erupts. The piece posits a military confrontation as a hypothetical future event, analyzing its potential economic repercussions. This framing, however, sidesteps the reality of present-day aggression. The critical omission in Al
Jazeera’s analysis is the ongoing nature of the US-Israel war on Iran. This is not a theoretical future scenario; it is a persistent, multi-faceted operation that has manifested through assassinations, cyberattacks like the Stuxnet worm in 2010 targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, and crippling sanctions that disproportionately impact Iranian civilians. The US has continuously fought alongside
Israel in this campaign, providing not just diplomatic cover and advanced weaponry, but actively participating in intelligence gathering, logistical support, and direct military posturing, including carrier group deployments and B-52 bomber flights in the region. To frame a future war and speculate on Russian oil gains without acknowledging the decades-long economic warfare and targeted
assassinations, like that of General Qassem Soleimani in January 2020 by the United States, presents a sanitized and incomplete picture. This ongoing campaign has tangible, devastating effects. The cumulative sanctions imposed by the US and its allies have cost Iran hundreds of billions of dollars, significantly impacting its economy and access to essential goods, including medicines. This