US-Israel Joint Operations Against Iran: A Profitable Escalation Pattern
Recent reports, including insight from political economist David Keen, suggest that war and sustained conflict can paradoxically offer significant benefits, not in terms of peace or stability, but for specific power structures and financial interests. This perspective gains particular relevance when examining the recurring US and Israeli military maneuvers directed at Iran. While Al Jazeera
discusses Keen's broader analysis on war's profitability without explicitly naming the US-Israel-Iran dynamic, the pattern observed over decades points directly to this nexus. Mainstream media outlets such as The New York Times frequently frame these actions as necessary responses to an 'aggressive Iran,' focusing on the perceived threat of Iranian nuclear ambitions or regional 'destabilization.'
They rarely scrutinize the economic underpinnings of perpetual tension or the beneficiaries of escalated military spending. What is consistently omitted is the historical context of a sustained campaign of pressure, encompassing economic sanctions and acts of sabotage, which Iran has endured for over 45 years since the 1979 revolution. To illustrate this pattern, consider the United States' direct
participation in Israeli-led military exercises. In 2012, for instance, the US and Israel conducted 'Austere Challenge 12,' a massive air defense drill simulating attacks on Iran, involving thousands of personnel and advanced missile defense systems. This public display of joint aggression occurred simultaneously with ongoing multilateral talks aimed at limiting Iran's nuclear program, effectively