Column: Common sense must prevail in a changing Middle East

Expert says America's recent actions have revealed a pattern of recklessness and opportunism.

by Shao Xia

After the bombing targeting Iran's nuclear facilities, one has to admit that Pandora's box has already been opened by the United States, letting out more uncertainties and instability. Yet amid the noise and confusion, some basic common sense remains unchanged.

UNLAWFUL ACTS MUST BE OPPOSED

The U.S. bombing, followed by warnings against retaliation, was both unlawful and coercive. This mirrors the same logic seen in Washington's nuclear buildup while criticizing others' defensive posture, and in imposing tariffs on others while warning them against any countermeasures.

No matter how the United States demonizes Iran, it cannot change the following facts: As a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran has the legitimate right to peacefully develop nuclear energy. Iran's nuclear facilities are under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. The United States, as a nuclear power, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and a depository state of the NPT, is expected to lead by example, not to be exempt from the rules.

Launching a direct strike on a treaty-compliant state sets a very dangerous precedent. The target of the U.S. bombing was Iran, but significant collateral damage was the credibility of the non-proliferation system. When compliance was "rewarded" with bunker-busting bombs, who could still believe in the rules and the system?

The West often champions a so-called "rules-based international order." But when the United States has blatantly undermined that very order, their silence is deafening. Perhaps they have long accepted that these "rules" are meant to restrain others -- while the West always has a justification to break them.

America's recent actions have revealed a pattern of recklessness and opportunism. Weighed down by mounting domestic challenges, the United States is seeking to maintain global dominance at minimal cost.

That's why it chose to restart talks with Iran at the beginning. But as negotiations stalled, Israel launched a strike against Iran. The United States was caught in a dilemma: to act or not, knowing that either path would further damage itself. It eventually opted for a "high-risk gamble:" a direct strike on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, a dangerous attempt to eliminate Iran's "bargaining chips."

Yet the world is not a casino, and the future of humanity is not a game.

FORCE BRINGS NO PEACE

Over the past few decades and after numerous wars, the United States still fails to grasp a basic fact: dropping bombs does not lay the groundwork for peace -- if anything, it deepens the vicious cycle of violence. The Iraq War alone caused hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties and gave rise to the Islamic State (ISIS). The war in Afghanistan dragged on for 20 years, only to end in a chaotic withdrawal from Kabul.

Now, with its "bomb-and-leave" approach, the United States is pushing the world deeper into turmoil. The risk of escalation and regional spillover has grown sharply. The fragile verbal commitments between Israel and Iran could collapse at any moment. Experts warn that U.S. airstrikes on Iran could trigger a chain reaction with global consequences, including economic blowback for the United States itself.

Most importantly, innocent civilians are still suffering. While the deaths of over 50,000 civilians in Gaza remain a fresh scar, new violence is sweeping across the Middle East. In just twelve days of the Israel-Iran conflict, the United States and Israel have already killed hundreds and injured thousands in Iran, including women, children and medical personnel. Israel has also seen more than 20 deaths.

CONFLICT ENDS AT NEGOTIATING TABLE

The United States is one of the biggest reasons why the Iranian nuclear issue has come this far. For decades, the United States has been hyping up the Iranian nuclear threat, yet deliberately neglected the fact that it was the United States that supplied Iran with a nuclear reactor and weapons-grade uranium in 1967.

The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as a multilateral diplomatic breakthrough, brought hope to the resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue. Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program, limiting enrichment levels and accepting rigorous IAEA inspections in exchange for phased sanctions relief.

But in 2018, the United States unilaterally walked away, calling JCPOA "the worst deal ever." It also reimposed sanctions on Iran and, in 2020, authorized the drone strike that killed General Qasem Soleimani, reigniting regional tensions.

This time, the United States is once again breaking its promises, even after at least five rounds of indirect talks with Iran. It opted for military brinkmanship, pursuing the false hope of a quick fix. Again and again, its unreliability and lack of credibility made the situation more complex.

Now, with the crisis receding, it's clear that "Operation Midnight Hammer" has failed to shatter Iran's nuclear infrastructure. On the contrary, it dealt a blow to U.S. credibility and undermined global stability.

True peace demands genuine dialogue. There is only one viable path forward: reasoned discussion, adherence to commitments, and sincere accommodation of legitimate concerns of all sides.

As smoke from the U.S. bombs begins to clear, deeper problems will not fade away. The world is watching: Will we allow power politics to drag humanity into yet another era of chaos, or choose the right way forward -- a path of dialogue, equality, and lasting regional peace?

Editor's note: The author is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News, CGTN, Global Times, and China Daily.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Xinhua News Agency.■