On February 28, the United States and Israel attacked Iran. Strikes are being reported across the country, including the capital, Tehran.

During the second round of nuclear negotiations, the US pressured Iran by mobilizing its largest military force in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. When Iran refused to yield to US demands in Geneva on February 26, the US ultimately resorted to military military action.

Iran has launched retaliatory strikes. In addition to missile and drone attacks across Israel, Iran targeted US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). There are also reports of attacks on Saudi Arabia. The entire Middle East is once again being engulfed in the flames of a massive war.

The responsibility for the war and the destruction and suffering inflicted upon the people of the Middle East lies solely with the US and Israel. Trump claims that Iran must not possess nuclear weapons. However, he remains silent about Israel—the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East and the “watchdog” of US imperialism in the region. In addition, his own intelligence services have already confirmed that the Iranian regime has no immediate intention of acquiring nuclear weapons.

Trump’s condemnation of the Iranian regime as “vicious” is driven purely by the fact that the regime has consistently clashed with US interests.

Following the two years of war in Gaza, the Iranian regime is now weaker than ever. Seeing this as an opportunity, Trump hopes to topple the regime and reshape the Middle Eastern order to favor US hegemony. Israel, too, is seizing this opportunity to realize its ambition of becoming the dominant power in the Middle East.

In short, the reckless pursuit of hegemony by the US and Israel is setting the Middle East ablaze.

Trump justifies the attack by saying that the Iranian regime has massacred its own citizens who have protested. However, Trump himself is waging a war against people within his own borders using agencies like ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). He also supports pro-US dictatorships that massacre and oppress their own citizens—and above all, he supports Israel as it carries out a horrific genocide.

Trump poses as an ally of Iranian anti-government protesters, arguing that this attack is necessary to overthrow the oppressive regime. But the lives and political freedoms of Iranians are of no concern to him. Trump will not allow the Iranian people to determine their own destiny.

Most importantly, a victory for Trump and Netanyahu would mean a devastating setback for the Palestinian cause. Should he be emboldened by success in the Middle East, Trump will pursue even more aggressive adventures to strengthen US hegemony worldwide.

We must seek the defeat of Trump and Netanyahu.

28 February 2026

Workers’ Solidarity