The Americans are beating the drums of war. They want Iran this time. But who says things always happen according to the Americans’ plans?! Even if they summon the greatest forces on the planet, the fiercest naval fleets, or the largest and most dangerous maritime “armada” in history to the vicinity of Iran’s coasts these days.
Is Trump maneuvering with this massive deployment of formidable US forces to intimidate the decision-maker, or decision-makers, in Tehran? Does he want to force them into submission and compliance: “those who disobey get the stick?” A stick is looming over the Iranian regime; these are not empty threats... Who knows?!
In any case, this major showdown will, as I said here in the final week of 2025, be the event of events and the story of stories this year.
No one can stand in America’s way, especially under Trump. No one can stop him if the president decides to wage war on the regime and topple it, or to sow perpetual chaos in Iran. It will be difficult, perhaps impossible, to persuade Iran’s leaders to keep cool, acknowledge the balance of power, and prioritize safeguarding their country and its people instead of sacrificing them at the altar of ideology.
“I am lord over these camels, and the house a lord to protect it.” That should be the maxim of the Arab states in the region. They do not have the capacity to prevent a war, and that means protecting their countries from its evil and flames. One of these countries is Lebanon.
This country is plagued by a party equipped with military and ideological arms. Hezbollah does not care if the small, beautiful country burns in this dangerous ideological maelstrom.
A few days ago, in the fog of a region currently ablaze, Hezbollah Secretary-General Shekh Naim Qassem announced that “the party will not stand by in the face of an American-Israeli assault on Iran or any other arena in the region,” noting that “the manner of response, its timing, and its details will determined by the developments of battle and the interests of the moment.”
This is a revealing, explosive statement that kills any hope of keeping Lebanon neutral and leaving it out of others’ wars. The message was unequivocal and it should concern anyone who remains keen on preserving Lebanon, even minimally.
The bleak farce here: if burning Lebanon could potentially allow Sheikh Naim and what remains of his party’s military wing to tilt the balance in Iran’s favor and allow it to triumph over its American enemy, we would understand the decision. We would understand it, without accepting it. But to burn the country without benefiting Iran in the slightest is incomprehensible and certainly unacceptable under any circumstances. Welcome to the world of the absurd.
