HERE WE GO AGAIN

Over the past few decades, the relationship between the United States and Iran has been defined by tension, with many ongoing disputes over Iran's nuclear ambitions. Just last week, one of the biggest U.S. allies, Israel, launched a surprise attack on many Iranian nuclear sites, aiming to stop Iran from supposedly developing a nuclear bomb. Iran, of course, retaliated with drone strikes and air war between the two has dragged on ever since. That is, until, the self-proclaimed king of the world decided to step in. 

Despite U.S. intelligence stating Iran is not building a bomb, Trump disagrees. Even though Congress never authorized military action, Trump acted anyway. On June 21st, 2025, he launched a series of airstrikes targeting the three main nuclear facilities in Iran. In a pronouncement following the strikes, the president described Iran as the "bully of the Middle East" and emphasized that the goal of these actions was to force Iran to sue for peace. This statement not only casts the United States as the moral authority on who can possess nuclear weapons but is also a striking example of Trump’s classic hypocrisy. He labels Iran as a “bully” while simultaneously threatening even greater damage if Iran dares to respond. This makes Trump not just a bully, but an instigator. He drags his country into conflicts it was never invited to, provokes chaos and expects everyone to bow down to him. But this time, his reckless actions will not go unanswered. In a matter of minutes, Iran spoke up. 

In a statement, Iranian officials declared, “You started this war, and now we will end it.” This is a clear sign that Iran will retaliate, which, in my unprofessional opinion, could happen in one of four ways. The first possibility is a cyberattack on U.S. systems. This could disrupt banks and power grids, causing major economic problems (especially given how fragile the economy is now). Another response could be direct attacks on U.S. military bases or embassies across the Middle East. Iran has influence through proxy militias in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, which it could use to launch missile strikes. This would only fuel the conflict further. A more economic approach would be Iran threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage through which 1/5 of the world’s oil supply passes. Even the threat of closing it could cause oil prices to skyrocket, which would mess with economies worldwide. Finally, and possibly the worst case scenario, Iran could speed up its nuclear program to, for lack of better words, stand up to the real bully. By enriching more uranium, Iran would send a message that military threats don’t have the power to stop it. This would make diplomatic talks much harder and increase the risk of a nuclear arms race in the region. In general, any of these responses would only drag Trump further away from the peace treaty he claims to want,  showing exactly what happens when diplomacy is ignored and force takes its place. As a much wiser president once warned: “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”

Autoria: Nina Neves

Revisão: Pedro Anelli, André Rhinow

Foto de capa: Pinterest

References: 

BBC NewsBBC News. President Trump says US has bombed Iran nuclear sites. Disponível em: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg86pd63j8o. 

TIMETIME. U.S. Joins Israel in Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites, Trump Announces, Risking Wider War. Time, 21 jun. 2025. Disponível em: https://time.com/7296469/u-s-strikes-iran-nuclear-trump-war/. 

CNN

CNN. Israel-Iran conflict — live updates. CNN, 21–22 jun. 2025. Disponível em: https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-conflict-06-21-25-intl-hnk.