In the wake of the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran, the United States of America has lauded itself as being the facilitator of peace, despite its interference and working against Iran’s nuclear program for over 15 years.
The U.S. sent B-2 Spirit bombers out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and dropped 14 GBU-57 bombs onto Iran’s Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant and a second nuclear facility in the early morning of June 22 in Iran. America’s unprovoked attack came in the aftermath of Israel’s unprovoked attack on Iran on June 13. (See The Final Call, Vol. 44 No. 38)
In response to the U.S. attack, in defense, Iran launched an attack on a major U.S. base in Qatar on June 23. Just a few hours later, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed on a ceasefire on his platform, Truth Social.
Though Israel and Iran both launched additional strikes following the ceasefire announcement, the conflict eventually settled into a fragile cessation of exchanged attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shared a recorded message on June 26. An 11-minute-long English-translated video of the message was posted to Al Jazeera’s YouTube channel.
In his message, Supreme Leader Khamenei criticized America’s intervention and “rescue” of Israel and boasted that America failed to “destroy the Iranian nuclear facilities.”
He also spoke on President Trump’s demand for Iran to surrender. “… the United States president said Iran must completely give up and surrender. Then the issue is not our nuclear endeavors, yet our surrender,” he said, according to the English translator.
“Iran is a deep-rooted empire, deep-rooted in history with well-established civilization. That’s why the word ‘surrender’ is not within our vocabulary.”
Ayatollah Khamenei accused the U.S. of maintaining animosity toward Iran under false pretexts when the “ultimate goal is to see Iran surrendering.”
“No president has the right to demand one sovereign people to surrender. The Iranian cannot and will not surrender,” he said.
Despite President Trump’s claim that the nuclear sites were “totally destroyed,” multiple news outlets reported that a preliminary classified intelligence report by the Defense Intelligence Agency suggested that America’s attack set Iran’s nuclear program back by just a few months.
Despite accusations that Iran is reportedly developing nuclear weapons, the Muslim nation has contended it is using enriched uranium for peaceful purposes such as for enhanced energy production to benefit their country.
Whether Iran’s nuclear program has been set back by months or years does not absolve the U.S. of its historical, meddlesome role in Iran and in the Middle East and for its own nuclear weapon hypocrisy.
According to a recent story by the Associated Press, the U.S. is one of nine countries with nuclear weapons and has deployed more nuclear warheads than any other country, with Russia taking second place.
The U.S. also has the second largest nuclear weapon reserve and second largest nuclear stockpile, behind Russia. Russia is the only competitor to the U.S.; no other country is close to being in competition with the U.S.’s large number of nuclear warheads.
Atif Rashid, a journalist and editor-in-chief of Analyst News, a nonprofit, international news organization, wrote on “The brazen hypocrisy of Israel and America telling Iran it can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
He criticized Israel and the U.S.’s label of Iran as a “destabilizing” force in the Middle East when both countries have destabilized the region through America’s installation of puppet governments more favorable to her interests.
Including in Iran in the past, and through Israel’s active genocide against Palestinians and additional attacks against Palestine’s neighbors. Other media outlets based in Canada and the United Kingdom also criticized the U.S. and western hypocrisy.
The recent Iran-Israel ceasefire has also led to discussions on Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani voiced his hope that “Israel does not take advantage of the Iran ceasefire to keep attacking Gaza,” according to Al Jazeera. Sufyan Qudah, spokesperson for Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Tehran began returning to normalcy after the announced ceasefire, with Iran partially reopening its airspace, shops reopening and the return of traffic.
Numbers differ on those killed and wounded in Iran since the start of the conflict on June 13. Approximately 600 to 1,000 people are said to have been killed in Iran, with the majority of casualties being civilians.
About 4,500 to 5,300 people were wounded. According to a count posted by the United Nations, 49 women and 13 children were killed in Iran, including two pregnant women and one infant. About 28 Israeli citizens were reportedly killed.
On June 24, Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, expressed a willingness to return to nuclear talks with the United States and said that Iran was “ready to resolve issues at the negotiating table and within international frameworks,” according to The New York Times’ reference of an official readout of a call between President Pezeshkian’s office and the leader of the United Arab Emirates.
The following day, Iran’s Constitutional Council approved a bill to suspend its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after the country’s parliament voted to do likewise.
“According to the parliamentary resolution, IAEA inspectors will not be allowed to enter Iran unless the security of the country’s nuclear facilities and peaceful nuclear activities is fully guaranteed, a condition subject to approval by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Iran is also considering an entry ban on the IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, who has come under fire for facilitating the Israeli-American aggression against Iran,” reported PressTV.ir, Iran’s state news agency.
“Based on Grossi’s politically-motivated report, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted an anti-Iran resolution on June 12, which the Israeli regime and the U.S. used as a pretext to carry out their unprovoked and unlawful aggression against the Islamic Republic,” Press.TV reported.
American and Iranian officials were set to talk the week of June 29, according to President Trump. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said otherwise during a news interview on Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.
“Don’t take his remarks too seriously. No agreement has been made to resume talks. We are consulting internally to determine which path best serves Iran’s interests,” he said, according to the English website of the West Asia News Agency based in Tehran.
He accused the U.S. of giving “Israel a free hand to attack Iran” after “their negotiations hit a dead end” and claimed that America “betrayed diplomacy.”
He also explained that Iran does “not accept the term ‘ceasefire,’ because a ceasefire implies a negotiated agreement, and no such negotiation occurred.” He acknowledged that if the “Zionist regime stops its attacks,” and does not resume, “we will have no intention to continue, either.”
The European Union and counties including Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and other countries welcomed the ceasefire with hopes it will bring more calm to the region. However, Israel is still conducting military operations in Syria and Lebanon in addition to its non-stop slaughter of Palestinians.
With the continued aggression of Israel in the region, the outlook for lasting peace remains tenuous and remains to be seen.