The Iraq play book is back for Israel's attack on Iran

Defence affairs - dr omar sulaiman

The world has seen this playbook before.

A narrative of existential threat. A media chorus that refuses to question. Politicians beating the drums of war, invoking security to justify aggression. It was Iraq then. It’s Iran now.

And yet, in the background, one glaring fact goes unspoken: Israel already has nuclear weapons, and no one is holding it accountable.

Let us lay out the facts.

Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and allows international inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It is under constant surveillance and has faced crushing sanctions for even the possibility of nuclear capability.

Israel, on the other hand, is not a signatory to the NPT. It has never permitted IAEA inspections of its nuclear facilities. And yet, it is widely believed to possess approximately 90 nuclear warheads.

It is also the only nuclear-armed power in the Middle East, and has consistently behaved in opposition to international law with its lethal tactics targeting civilians.

The Global South sees it. Muslims see it. The people of Palestine unfortunately have to live it.

And increasingly, people in the West are waking up to the double standards that erode whatever moral authority the United States and its allies claim to hold.

This is not about defending Iran or its record. This is about the consistent and dangerous erosion of international norms.