Don't let unnecessary wars become an uncontrollable crisis

(Source: Jiaxing Daily)

Transferred from: Jiaxing Daily

The military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran have been ongoing for a month. The “Epic Fury” has failed to achieve the anticipated “quick victory,” and Iran’s demonstrated resilience has exceeded expectations, causing the U.S. strategic goals to fall short, with mounting doubts and opposition from various parties. The prolonged conflict is rapidly evolving into a complex crisis affecting regional security and international markets.

This is a war that should never have started. The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran without authorization from the United Nations Security Council, openly violating the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, the rights and wrongs are clear. “This is not our war.” Even European allies have publicly refused to cooperate with U.S. military deployments, distancing themselves from U.S.-Israeli actions. France and Germany criticized the U.S. for not informing allies prior to the operation, and the spillover effects of the conflict have imposed heavy economic losses on Europe, further widening the rift in transatlantic relations. The attack on Iran has also ignited anti-war sentiment within the U.S., leading Joe Kent, director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, to resign in anger, stating he could not “consciously support” U.S. military actions against Iran.

The U.S. and Israel have clearly underestimated Iran’s determination to maintain its national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, while overestimating the ability of military means to resolve complex geopolitical issues. Polls show that nearly 60% of Americans believe that the U.S. military actions against Iran have gone too far. Due to rising oil prices and anti-war sentiment, President Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 36%, a new low for his second term. A commentary from The Washington Post is even sharper: the U.S. government’s misjudgment of Iran is the latest example of the oldest and most deadly tradition in international politics—the “catastrophic gap” between leaders’ pre-war assumptions and the actual consequences of war.

From a pragmatic perspective, the spillover effects of this conflict have become uncontrollable. In today’s world of deep integration, the impact of a significant regional conflict will not be confined to the battlefield; the entire international community will be forced to pay for the ambitions of a few politicians. The European Central Bank warned that prolonged conflict could lead to stagflation, dragging energy-dependent economies like Germany and Italy into a technical recession by the end of 2026. Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder believes that the global impact of this conflict will surpass that of the Iraq War, affecting economic security, alliance relations, and the world order.

A ceasefire is urgently needed. The international community should form a united front to resist any actions that violate international law, urging the relevant parties to genuinely return to the path of dialogue and negotiation, and not allow this war that should never have started to continue, transforming into an unmanageable crisis.

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, March 28

Reporter Xu Suping

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