How America is trying to ‘reshape’ West Asia with unipolar obsession

As the Iran war comes before Parliament, with the Opposition lambasting the government over reported shortages of household gas cylinders, there is little realisation that the dangers of this conflict have only just begun. In fact, the issue of Hormuz might be the least of it. Even if this war ends tomorrow, a train of events has been set in motion that will require Indian policy to manoeuvre — and fast. Things are changing by the minute.

Upfront Motives

With 90 per cent of India’s LNG imports passing through the Hormuz, there is undoubtedly a serious and immediate problem. The crux of the problem for forward planning, however, is that no one knows President Trump’s final objective, and therefore when the war will end. Following an intelligence briefing, US Senator Chris Murphy observed that US objectives were neither regime change nor destruction of the nuclear arsenal. That could be deemed partisan politics, given that he is a Democrat. But Secretary of War Peter Hegseth also said regime change was not an objective of US policy.

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As for the nuclear aspect, Omani negotiators have stated clearly that Iran had agreed to “zero accumulation, zero stockpiling, and full verification” by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors. Then there are questions on exactly what Trump means with his demand for "surrender", a question Hegseth dodged when prodded by a reporter. All this points to other motives, however bizarre.

The Grand Design

In February, Secretary Marco Rubio made an astonishing speech at the Munich Security Conference. In essence, he argued that decolonisation and the adoption of liberal values had led to the downfall of Europe and the West.

He observed: “For five centuries, before the end of the Second World War, the West had been expanding — its missionaries, its pilgrims, its soldiers, its explorers pouring out from its shores to cross oceans, settle new continents, build vast empires extending out across the globe…"

His call to Europe was to “revitalise an old friendship and renew the greatest civilisation in human history.” In other words, it was a call to Christians to come to each other’s aid and reshape the world into what it once was — a ground for the White man to use others’ resources for their betterment. He also places the Iran war squarely as a religious war. Front-loading of Christianity among important officials is now obvious.

For instance, Secretary Pete Hegseth has clearly framed the war in a religious light, ironically chastising the Iranians for being “religious fanatics who seek a nuclear capability,” even while quoting heavily from the Bible at a Pentagon press conference. This is a tinderbox, and as with the Crusades of the past, there may be no fixed date to end all this.

The Remaking of West Asia

Recently, Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, one of the most respected in the region and intimately involved with the negotiations, warned, "There is a broader plan targeting the region, and Iran is not the only target. Many regional actors are aware of this, but they are betting that aligning with the United States may push it to revise its decisions and policies.” Whether this involves a partitioning of Iran or a whole regional shake-up is unclear. Note also US Ambassador Mike Huckabee’s backing of the Biblical view of Israel as the land between the Euphrates and the Nile, which would essentially give Tel Aviv, among other areas, control over the Suez.

While this is the most extreme view, and earlier only supported by fringe elements in Israel, these fringe elements — like far-right Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir — are now in government, with so-called ‘mainstream’ politicians such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others less willing to publicly oppose it.

Israel has been steadily expanding its territories, and while this large land grab is unviable, some expansion seems to be in the offing. That, in turn, will overturn the delicate balance of power in West Asia, especially with Iran out of the way. That further advances a possible US plan to completely reshape West Asia — the fount of energy — into one that suits US interests and domination.

The Bottom Line

As this ambition unfolds, what is abundantly clear is the complete sidelining of international law in Venezuela, now Iran, and ambitions in Cuba. In vain, the Secretary-General of the United Nations continues to cite that Article 2 of the UN Charter bars such attacks while bemoaning the fact that clear diplomatic solutions were not pursued. Equally ignored seem to be warnings of the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding severe radiation threats from Iran’s nuclear sites.

Another element of the present international situation is even more alarming. Former powers like Russia and China seem entirely out of the equation, with the latter in a rare statement asking Iran, which it has long supported, to stop attacks against Gulf countries, even while condemning the war overall. But on the ground, neither country has sent its ships or aircraft to ‘defend’ Iran. There is no evidence either of any weapons sent since the war started. It seems, therefore, the ultimate unipolar moment is here. The US is on a rampage, and there is no one to challenge it.

But nothing is that simple. Iran denies firing many of the 2,000 projectiles that hit Gulf States, calling for a regional committee to investigate. Amid this confusion, US officials are pressing them to join the fight in earnest, with no immediate result. Europe is also lukewarm in its support, with even ally the UK firmly staying out. But as Washington’s threats to allies continue, this could change. Meanwhile, the key to this is Saudi Arabia, which reportedly persuaded Trump to go ahead with strikes, based on an assessment that Iran was gaining in strength.

With Iraq out of the way, and then Iran, there is no doubt that a reordered West Asia would be pinned down by the Saudis and Israelis in a new kind of colonisation that sees no challenge to US power. Meanwhile, the Saudis have promised Washington an additional $12 billion in investment in bonds, adding to their already rising portfolio. With midterm polls due, the low support for Trump’s Iranian adventure could still be a factor in US decision-making, but in the end it is all about the economy. There, a rearranged region that decisively establishes American power would be worth the fight. For others, like India, it is time for a huge reorientation. This is just the beginning.

(The writer is Director [Research and Analysis] at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.)