As the United States farcically walks away from the negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, it was always a matter of concern whether Israel would abide by any such agreement. This was particularly the case with Lebanon and with the Palestinian territories, where Israel seemed absolutely hell bent on creating new ‘facts on the ground’, including evacuating more sections of Gaza, ethnically cleansing more towns in the West Bank, and eliminating almost one million people from the entire southern half of Lebanon.

US President Donald Trump has increasingly become unhinged as the war on Iran has not gone as he imagined. Both the United States and Israel felt that a series of domination strikes against Iran would decapitate the leadership of the country and force the remaining mid-level leaders into surrender. The miscalculation of the Trump-Netanyahu agenda has been total: a depth of wartime leadership has emerged within Iran, the public now stands united to defend their homeland, and because of Iran’s strategic use of the Strait of Hormuz, it is the US, and not Iran, that is now suing for peace.

Last year, in July, the United States and Israel bombarded Iran’s nuclear energy and nuclear research facilities over 12 days. After a few days, the two belligerent powers – who had no United Nations authorisation for this war of aggression – opened the door for a ceasefire. At that time, believing that this might very well be the basis for a full negotiation, the Iranian government led by Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei agreed to the terms set out – an immediate end to the strikes and no escalation. The missile launchers went quiet, but the deal was very fragile.

ON February 27, two days before the Israeli and US aircraft and missiles struck Iran, US President Donald Trump told reporters in the White House that he was interested in a ‘friendly takeover’ of Cuba. On January 3, the US had kidnapped the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and then on January 29, Trump signed Executive Order no. 14380 to prevent any country from supplying oil to Cuba.

JUST when all the trend lines show us that the economies of the Global North will remain flat for another year, and that the economies of many of the Asian countries – in particular – will have slower but still higher growth rates, the leaders of the Global North go to their various forums to say – we are back! The most recent leader to do this conjuring trick has been Marco Rubio, Secretary of State for the United States.