Opposing repression in Tehran does not give Washington, Israel or Europe the moral authority to violate international law in the name of justice

Let’s get one thing out of the way: the Iranian regime is terrible. But looking at this from a wider perspective does not excuse it or minimise its repression in any way. 

Acknowledging that truth does not automatically transform Donald Trump and his supporters – hello, European Union, NATO – into moral beacons. Quite the opposite – they are war criminals who should be tried in The Hague. The United States and Israel, and its allies by extension, are the biggest danger to world peace, and it’s not even close.

The only guiding light in this Western sea of cowardice is Spain, under the leadership of Pedro Sánchez’s government. While most EU governments cheer on the Trump-Netanyahu war machine, he has been a rare exception – from his migration policy, to boldly calling out Israel throughout its genocide in Gaza, and now refusing to allow the US to use its Spanish bases for their war campaign in Iran.

What is truly disturbing is seeing people justify an attack that resulted in the deaths of more than 150 children and calmly reduce it to “collateral damage”. 

Think about the level of dehumanisation required to accept that. At some point hatred becomes so consuming that people stop recognising the value of human life. At the time of writing the total death toll stands at just over 1,000 people.

What is even more troubling is watching people who are, supposedly, decent repeat violent rhetoric and say things that are deeply disturbing. To the point that one begins to question whether their decency and humanity is real or simply wishful thinking.

No matter how horrendous the Iranian regime may be, it was never up to the United States, Israel or European governments to decide the future of that country through bombs. 

The people of a country must determine their own future and fight for it themselves. External intervention can only be legitimate when there is international consensus and when international law is upheld.

Bombing a country without it sets a terrible precedent. It tells the world that powerful states can decide which countries deserve bombs and which do not. And once that precedent exists, it cannot be denied to others. 

If it is acceptable today, why would it not be acceptable tomorrow for another war criminal, like Vladimir Putin? Imagine the reverse situation… one need not write another word to see how absurd it would be.

There is also a striking hypocrisy in many of the reactions we are seeing. Many of the same people applauding the bombing of Iran were cheering Israel while Palestinians in Gaza were being killed in cold blood. 

And many of the same people who now claim this bombing is justified because women are oppressed in Iran are often the ones voting against equal rights for women and minorities in their own countries.

I know humans are full of contradictions, and I am willing to accept that as part of our nature, but this goes well beyond it. It is an example of how inhumanity is present within all of us, and yet another reason why we must resist it.

Standing alongside those who massacre civilians and kill children simply because “we hate the Iranian regime” equates to complicity at best, and cowardice at worst. 

Is this the world we want to live in? 

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