Hats off salute to Iran

June 21, 2025; America launched airstrikes on three nuclear installations in Iran and destroyed them. Unless peace is restored swiftly, US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike again with precision at the remaining targets. Iran retaliated through compromise. Iran informed in advance and then attacked the American base in Qatar. After the US had evacuated everything from the base, Iran launched its missiles.

Not a single American soldier died. Even in war, strategic moves are made, and victory or defeat is determined through compromise. This is more common in wrestling. Iran had already signalled to the US that it did not wish to be drawn into a prolonged war. Iran had previously launched similar face-saving attacks, such as after the killing of Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, during Trump’s first term. The US had assassinated Qasem Soleimani, leaving Iran cornered—going to war with America would have been foolish. But to energise its people and the naive Muslims of the world, Iran declared vengeance. After publicly announcing it, Iran secretly informed the US and launched missile strikes on an American base in Iraq. However, no American soldier died, not even one was injured.

Destroying Iran’s nuclear installations was the primary goal of Israel and and after achieving that, Donald Trump proposed ending the war. Iran would stop first, and twelve hours later, Israel would do the same. Iran, being wise, accepted. Had the war continued, Iran’s economy would have collapsed, and its fate would have been similar to Saddam Hussein’s in Iraq. Now, by accepting a ceasefire, it managed to save face, at least somewhat. Just a few days ago, Donald Trump had called for Iran’s unconditional surrender.

In response, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, "Iranians are not a nation that surrenders." He had then clearly told America that if the US got involved in a conflict, it would suffer losses that it would not be able to recover from. Despite lacking military might, such grandstanding against America has brought ruin to the rulers of several countries—among them are Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, Pakistan’s Imran Khan, Panama’s Manuel Noriega, and Chile’s Salvador Allende. Now, both Israel and America are jointly calling for the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Religious Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

On June 13, 2025, without any formal announcement, Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear installations and weapons depots, killing nine nuclear scientists and several top military officials. Tragically, after killing the army chief, Israel also assassinated Iran’s newly appointed army chief Ali Shadmani. A country that cannot protect even two successive army chiefs should not boast. Having lost top military officials and nuclear scientists, Iran took some revenge by launching ballistic missiles at Tel Aviv, Israel’s capital.

Iran’s defence system is not as strong as Israel’s. Israel’s defence system is so robust that of the hundreds of drones and missiles launched by Iran, only a couple managed to strike Israeli territory; the rest were destroyed mid-air. Iran’s fighter jets are in even worse condition—they are so old and worn that they could be displayed in a museum, but not used in combat. That’s likely why, through mediation from Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar, pressure was put on Donald Trump to propose ending the war, though Israel did not agree. If the war ended, Iran was also ready to be flexible in nuclear negotiations.

Credit for Israel’s precise attacks on specific targets in Iran goes to its intelligence agency, Mossad. Mossad spies had infiltrated Iran long ago and set up bases in central Iran. Drones and radar-destroying technology were brought from Israel, and using these, Mossad operatives destroyed Iran’s radar systems and anti-aircraft batteries. As a result, Israeli planes could strike their targets easily and without resistance. Not only that, Mossad had also mapped out where everyone lived, making it effortless to assassinate Iran’s top military officials and nuclear scientists.

Mossad’s female spies, positioned inside Iran, extracted all of Iran’s secret information, yet Iran could not even detect Mossad. A similar incident occurred in Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s. At the height of wartime alert, Israel launched airstrikes on Iraq’s nuclear facilities and destroyed them—but Iraq had no inkling of it.

The slain scientists were the chief architects of Iran’s nuclear programme. This is not the first time Israel has killed Iranian nuclear scientists. It has not only killed them but occasionally disabled nuclear facilities as well. Each time there has been an attack on its scientists and facilities, Iran has sworn severe retaliation. Yet Israeli aggression has never ceased. When Iran’s nuclear project pioneer Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated in 2020, Iran vowed to strike the perpetrators like ‘a thunderbolt’. Describing Israel as ‘a dangerous cancerous tumour’, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared its eradication essential—but now, they themselves are being eradicated. Still, Iran is the only country that never let Israel sleep peacefully.

With Iranian-backed Shia militias in Iraq, Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen, Iran had formed an axis of resistance in the Middle East that posed a constant threat to Israel. But Israel fought alone against all these armed groups. It not only shattered the resistance axis formed by Iran but also neutralised it. Now, if Iran can be neutralised, these armed groups in various countries will have no resources to remain active. That is why America and Israel together weakened Iran. No country publicly stood by Iran. Pakistan initially announced support but later backed out. After dining with Trump, Pakistan’s army chief opined that Trump deserved the Nobel Peace Prize as a peace envoy. Iran fought alone against two powerful nations, as isolated and solitary as Gaza.

Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have somewhat normalised through China’s mediation. Before this, Iran and Saudi Arabia’s relationship was like that of snakes and mongooses. Most Muslim countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, could not accept Iran becoming a nuclear power. They feared that nuclear capability would intensify radical Islamism in the region and bring about the fall of monarchies. That is why Saudi Arabia once wanted Israel to destroy Iran’s nuclear programme. Now America has done it. Had Iran possessed a nuclear bomb or enriched uranium required to make one, the moment America dropped its bombs, radioactive contamination would have spread everywhere.

United States’ Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard tried to convince Trump that Iran lacked the capability to make a nuclear bomb—but Trump didn’t believe it. Of course, he had no reason to, because Trump himself knew Iran was nowhere near developing a nuclear weapon. But he wanted to demonstrate the destructive power of America’s deadly weapons so Iran would remain submissive like a dead snake in the future.

Israel and America attacked Iran to destroy its ability to build nuclear weapons—yet both of these countries themselves possess nuclear bombs. If they can have nuclear weapons, why can’t Iran? There is no answer to that. To date, only the United States has used a nuclear bomb on an adversary, yet a hypothetical nuclear Iran is not to be trusted—while America, the destroyer of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, must be trusted.

Even though the war has ended, there may still be attempts to instigate a popular uprising in Iran, although Donald Trump has denied any such plans. However, Trump cannot be trusted, as he often does the opposite of what he says. Still, even if there is a regime change plan for Iran, the current situation offers little opportunity to implement it. Because of the war, the Iranian people are now united behind the current government. Besides, there is no democracy in Iran, while even inside Israel, Jews are protesting against Israel’s aggression. But if such protests happened in Iran, the protesters would be immediately branded as ‘Israeli spies’ and hanged.

Since the day Muslims started living off the legacy of Muslim scientists, philosophers, and physicians famed from the 7th to 13th centuries, their decline began. With no capacity for innovation and creativity, Muslims now indulge in empty boasting. Their arrogance of superiority has turned them towards the afterlife. The global resurgence of Muslim conservatism has generated “Islamophobia” worldwide. As a result, Muslims have become the common enemy of all religious communities.

President Ebrahim Raisi died because he boarded a 46-year-old, worn-out, rickety helicopter. A country that cannot build a helicopter—yet we celebrate its imagined victory. Still, salute to Iran—for, despite lacking capability, it fought with its limited strength to stop Israeli barbarity. Unlike Turkey or other Arab countries, it did not wait. Iran fought alone and isolated, in an unequal war against modern-day Hulagus. This fight is a fight for justice against barbarity and injustice.

Zeauddin Ahmed: Former Executive Director, Bangladesh Bank