By Ram Puniyani
The recent joint military actions by Israel and the United States against Iran have been devastating. Like all wars, this conflict is brutal to its core, leaving a trail of human suffering in its wake. The stated pretext for this aggression—the brutality of the Ayatollah Khamenei regime and its nuclear ambitions—clashes sharply with the reality of the diplomatic landscape. Iran had expressed a willingness to remain at the negotiating table, signaling a readiness to concede points emerging from dialogue.
Yet, in the midst of these talks, the "I-A" (Israel-America) axis launched a campaign that has inflicted severe damage. The human cost has been staggering: the reported killing of Khamenei and his family members, the bombing of a school resulting in the deaths of 165 young girls, and the targeting of numerous civilians. In a move that directly impacted regional maritime security, an Iranian naval ship—present in Indian waters for joint exercises—was reportedly torpedoed by a U.S. submarine. While Iran has retaliated, the cycle of violence only deepens the humanitarian crisis.
For India, these events serve as a sobering eye-opener regarding the evolution of its foreign policy. Historically, India championed Non-Alignment, maintaining amicable and culturally rich relations with Iran. However, the recent shift is palpable. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Israel on the eve of this conflict, where he pledged solidarity "through thick and thin," stands in stark contrast to India’s traditional neutrality.
The Prime Minister’s subsequent silence on the demise of Iran’s leadership, coupled with a "blank statement" that equated the aggressor with the aggrieved, signals a departure from India's role as a moral arbiter in the Global South. This transition—from a neutral partner to a silent collaborator with the American-Israeli axis—is a watershed moment in Indian diplomacy.
To understand this current crisis, one must view it through the lens of U.S. foreign policy since the 1950s. For decades, Washington has interfered in the sovereign affairs of nations under various ideological banners. In the 1960s, the "containment of Communism" led to a horrific war in Vietnam. The U.S. deployed chemical weapons like Napalm and Agent Orange, devastating the ecology and the population alike. Despite spending millions and deploying over 500,000 troops, the U.S. was eventually forced into a morale-crushing retreat by a young nation’s resolve.
Iran itself has long been a target; in 1951, the democratically elected Mohammad Mosaddegh moved to nationalize Iran's oil, challenging British hegemony. In response, the UK and U.S. orchestrated a coup to install the Shah, a move that prioritized oil interests over Iranian democracy. A similar script was followed in Chile in 1973. When the Marxist leader Salvador Allende nationalized U.S.-controlled copper companies, the CIA backed a coup that installed the ruthless dictator Augusto Pinochet, destroying Chilean democracy for a generation.
The scars inflicted on West Asia are perhaps the deepest. Following the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the U.S. funded and trained the Mujahideen—the precursors to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda—to the tune of $8 billion. Following the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. used the "War on Terror" as a pretext to invade Afghanistan and later Iraq. The invasion of Iraq, built on the fabrication of "Weapons of Mass Destruction," was sold to soldiers as a mission of liberation. Instead of bouquets, the region found itself dismantled, giving rise to the horrors of the Islamic State (ISIS). Neither weapons of mass destruction could be located, nor were the soldiers welcomed as liberators.
Colonialism and imperialism leave indelible marks on the world. Just as the British policy of "divide and rule" fostered the communalism that still haunts India today, the modern "War on Terror" and the coining of the term "Islamic terrorism" have led to the global demonization of Muslims.
Imperialism continues to prioritize strategic dominance and resource control over human rights and international law. Both these phenomena remain the forces at the roots of the major problems the world faces today. True peace can only be promoted when we recognize these historical patterns and demand a world order based on sovereignty and genuine diplomacy, rather than the "claws" of imperial might.
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Ram Puniyani taught at IIT Bombay and is the President of the Center for Study of Society and Secularism
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