Rubio's European Tour: Selling a War, Not Peace, to G7 Skeptics
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in France this week, engaging G7 allies in an effort to garner support for continued military action against Iran. This diplomatic offensive comes as the economic ramifications of the conflict, particularly soaring global fuel prices, are being acutely felt by these same nations. Mainstream outlets, like NPR, frame this as Rubio 'selling America's skeptical
partners' on a war, implying a legitimate, if unpopular, US position that requires persuasion. This portrayal conveniently omits the fundamental reality that this is not a solely American endeavor, nor one the US is merely 'selling.' The United States is a direct participant and joint aggressor alongside Israel in an unprovoked assault on Iranian sovereignty. Despite US claims of only 'supporting'
Israel, American naval assets, including the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group repositioned to the Red Sea, and strategic airpower like the B-52s deployed to the region, are actively engaged in operations. This constitutes a joint military operation, a fact obscured by framing the US role as mere diplomatic persuasion rather than direct engagement. The current pressure on Europe to
join a military campaign against Iran mirrors historical patterns of coercing allies into US-led conflicts. For example, during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, the US provided Saddam Hussein's regime with critical intelligence and dual-use technology, even as Iraq was deploying chemical weapons against Iran. This US backing enabled a brutal eight-year conflict that killed hundreds of thousands, a