To shed more light on the recent developments in the region and the goals of the US and Israeli regime of their aggression on Iran and possible US soldiers boot on the ground and its consequences, TABNAK reached out to Nader Entessar, professor emeritus of political science from the University of South Alabama for an interview.
Following is the full text of his comments:
How do you assess the legality of the war US and Israel began against Iran?
International law has been trampled by countries that have launched an unprovoked attack against Iran. But we live in a different world now, where Washington and its main co-attacker have openly stated that they don't care about the norms of international law when it comes to their foreign policy goals. In other words, the law of the jungle has replaced international law, and it has made a mockery of what Washington not too long ago called the rule-based international order.
What are the real goals of the US and Israel?
Although there is an overlap between the US and Israeli goals, especially when it comes to wanting to turn Iran into a weak and defenseless country in the region, Israel has one additional long-term goal-- that is to force Iran's disintegration into five or six small and hapless entities. This has been a long-term strategic goal of Israel long before the current war started.
When Trump began the war by asked Iran for unconditional surrender, but now he is after a ceasefire. How do you assess Trump's success in this war?
Trump continues to state that it is Tehran and not Washington that is asking for a ceasefire. He wants to prepare the ground for possibly declaring a victory and disengaging from his current path. Similarly, he may very well be trying to mislead Iran into lowering its guard for a likely ground attack by the US on some Iranian islands and coastal towns in the Persian Gulf. What Trump says and what he does are two different issues.
If Iran and the US reach an agreement to end the war, will Israel respect the US decision?
At this time, it is unlikely that Iran and the US will reach an agreement anytime soon to end the war. Tehran and Washington's stated conditions for ending the war are so far apart from each other. However, should an agreement be reached between Iran and the US, Israel will not respect it and will continue its aggression against Iran. Iran must prepare itself for a war of attrition against Israel.
Trump postponed the attack on Iran's energy infrastructures? Why? afraid of Iran's retaliatory attacks? Or some say he is buying time to get ready for a ground attack? What do you think of this? How do you assess the outcome of any possible US boots on the ground for the US?
I think Trump is trying to buy time for an impending ground attack. 17,000 additional US forces have been sent to the region for this purpose, and their numbers may increase in the coming days. If Iran has also been preparing for such an assault by committing to mobilize hundreds of thousands of its forces to repel the invading forces and defend the country's territorial integrity for a relatively extended period of time, then the US invasion will become a very bloody one with unpredictable consequences for all parties involved, including other countries in the Persian Gulf and beyond.
It seems the US and Israel are trying to drag the regional countries into a war with Iran. Do you think so? If yes, what are their goals? What should regional countries do to avoid falling into such a trap?
Yes, this has become an important part of Trump's war aims. By doing so, Trump hopes to resell the war not just as an American-Israeli endeavor but as a regional and collective war. So far, the UAE has bought into Trump's goals, and others may be forced to follow suit. We have to remember that most of these countries are artificial entities with small local populations, and their leaders live in a US protective bubble. If this bubble bursts, their future may become more precarious. If they recognize this, then they may avoid falling into a war trap with Iran.
