By assassinating a sovereign nation’s
leader without provocation, the US and Israel have opened Pandora’s Box. What prevents
other nations from doing the same against leaders they see as threats?
By Fareed Khan
A version of this can be found on Substack.
© 2026 The View From Here. © 2026 Fareed Khan. All Rights Reserved.
A version of this can be found on Substack.
On
February 28th the world witnessed a brazen act of aggression as the United
States and Israel launched a coordinated assault on Iran, resulting in the
death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, members of his family, and the
bombing of a girls’ elementary school where 165
innocent children perished amid the rubble. This unprovoked strike, cloaked
in vague claims of pre-emptive self-defence, exemplifies the depths of Western
evil and hypocrisy. While the West preaches human rights, international law,
and the sanctity of life, it unleashes devastation on non-Western nations with
impunity, revealing a profound lack of humanity that prioritizes geopolitical
dominance over innocent lives. Not only should the US and Israel be condemned
for their actions, but also for their unfounded justifications for the attack,
as should the shameful complicity of allies like Canada and certain European
nations, whose support for this act of war expose the hollowness of their moral
posturing.
The
assault’s unfounded nature is glaring. Iran
posed no imminent threat to the US or Israel at the time of the strike.
There were no credible intelligence reports of an impending Iranian attack, no
evidence of nuclear weaponization beyond speculative rhetoric, and no active aggression
against Western interests. Instead, the operation appears rooted in
long-standing animosities, exaggerated fears of Iran’s regional influence, and
a desire to decapitate its leadership under the guise of “strategic necessity.”
This mirrors historical patterns where Western powers fabricate threats to
justify invasions or assassinations, such as the US killing of Iranian
General Qasem Soleimani in 2020, which escalated tensions without resolving
underlying issues. By framing Iran as an existential danger, the US and Israel
ignored diplomatic avenues, opting for violence that has destabilized the
Middle East further. Such actions are not defence but imperialism, echoing
colonial-era interventions where might makes right.
The human cost is staggering and unforgivable. The bombing of the girls’ school in Minab, a civilian target with no military value, resulted in the deaths of 165 children, alongside scores of other innocents. This is not collateral damage. It is a deliberate disregard for life, reminiscent of repeated Israeli strikes on schools in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinian children have been killed in similar assaults labeled as “precision” operations.
Reports from the scene depict rescuers pulling charred bodies from the debris, a scene of horror that underscores the barbarism at play. Western leaders often decry child casualties in conflicts involving their adversaries—think of the outrage over Russian strikes in Ukraine—but here, the response is muted, if not defensive. This selective empathy reveals a dehumanizing bias, one where Muslim and Middle Eastern lives are expendable, mere statistics in the ledger of power politics. The lack of humanity is profound, seeing as it treats entire populations as disposable to advance Western agendas, eroding the very principles of universal human rights that the West claims to champion.
Compounding the evil inherent in US and Israeli actions is the hypocrisy of Western support for the attack. Canada, under Prime Minister Mark Carney, offered full-throated endorsement, framing it as necessary to prevent Iran from threatening international peace. This stance is shameful, given Canada’s self-proclaimed image as a defender of multilateralism and human rights. Unlike in 2003 when Canadian PM Jean Chretien refused to support the illegal American invasion of Iraq and endorse the international rule of law instead, Carney has chosen the opposite path for Canada—endorsing illegal acts that further shred international law.
Similarly, European nations like France, Germany, and the UK issued statements urging restraint but stopped short of outright condemnation, emphasizing Iran’s “destabilizing” role while ignoring the unilateral and illegal actions of the aggressors. These countries, part of the E3 group, have long criticized Iran’s nuclear program and regional activities but turn a blind eye to Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal and aggressive policies. Their complicity exposes a double standard. When Russia invaded Ukraine, Europe mobilized sanctions and aid. Yet when the US and Israel bomb Iran, they call for “negotiated solutions” without calling for accountability for the two nations’ criminal acts. This hypocrisy fractures global trust, as non-Western nations see the “rules-based order” as a tool for Western dominance, not justice.
The attack’s broader implications are equally chilling. By assassinating a sovereign nation’s leader without provocation, the US and Israel have set a dangerous precedent that undermines international norms. If such actions are justifiable based on perceived threats—real or imagined—then what prevents other nations from taking similar action against the leaders of nations they see as threats?
Consider a hypothetical. If a Middle Eastern country viewed Israel’s leadership as a genuine threat to regional peace, given its history of unprovoked attacks on neighbouring nations and decades long occupation of Palestinian lands, could it not invoke the same logic to target Israeli officials? Or, extending the thought, if China perceived US policies as a threat to its security, might it rationalize assassinating American leaders?
This is not an endorsement of violence but a stark illustration of the anarchy that would ensue when powerful states act as judge, jury, and executioner. The world would descend into chaos, with assassinations becoming the norm and declarations of war being issued, eroding sovereignty and inviting endless retaliation. As odious as aspects of Iran’s regime may be—its human rights abuses and suppression of women’s rights—murdering its leaders will achieve nothing but cycles of vengeance. If the West’s rationale holds, then rogue actors everywhere gain legitimacy, opening Pandora’s Box and lighting a global inferno.
In condemning this unjustifiable and barbaric attack, we are forced to confront the profound moral decay rotting at the heart of Western foreign policy. The actions of the United States and Israel, shamefully backed by Canada and key European enablers, are not mere aberrations but glaring symptoms of a global system that ruthlessly prioritizes hegemonic control over the sanctity of human life. As rescue workers continue to sift through the rubble of the girls' elementary school in Minab where at least 165 innocent children have been confirmed dead amid conflicting early reports of rising tolls, history will indelibly judge this not as a triumph over tyranny but as an eternal stain on the fabric of civilization—a grotesque tableau where the blood of the young fuels the insatiable fires of Western hypocrisy.
True peace can only be forged through unwavering accountability—impartial investigations under the auspices of international law, targeted sanctions against the aggressors, and a resolute recommitment to diplomacy rather than unjustifiable aggression. Anything less not only perpetuates the insidious evil that now indelibly scars Iran and imperils the world but condemns humanity to a future where the cries of slaughtered innocents echo unanswered, demanding that we rise as one to dismantle the machinery of imperial terror before it consumes us all.
The human cost is staggering and unforgivable. The bombing of the girls’ school in Minab, a civilian target with no military value, resulted in the deaths of 165 children, alongside scores of other innocents. This is not collateral damage. It is a deliberate disregard for life, reminiscent of repeated Israeli strikes on schools in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinian children have been killed in similar assaults labeled as “precision” operations.
Reports from the scene depict rescuers pulling charred bodies from the debris, a scene of horror that underscores the barbarism at play. Western leaders often decry child casualties in conflicts involving their adversaries—think of the outrage over Russian strikes in Ukraine—but here, the response is muted, if not defensive. This selective empathy reveals a dehumanizing bias, one where Muslim and Middle Eastern lives are expendable, mere statistics in the ledger of power politics. The lack of humanity is profound, seeing as it treats entire populations as disposable to advance Western agendas, eroding the very principles of universal human rights that the West claims to champion.
Compounding the evil inherent in US and Israeli actions is the hypocrisy of Western support for the attack. Canada, under Prime Minister Mark Carney, offered full-throated endorsement, framing it as necessary to prevent Iran from threatening international peace. This stance is shameful, given Canada’s self-proclaimed image as a defender of multilateralism and human rights. Unlike in 2003 when Canadian PM Jean Chretien refused to support the illegal American invasion of Iraq and endorse the international rule of law instead, Carney has chosen the opposite path for Canada—endorsing illegal acts that further shred international law.
Similarly, European nations like France, Germany, and the UK issued statements urging restraint but stopped short of outright condemnation, emphasizing Iran’s “destabilizing” role while ignoring the unilateral and illegal actions of the aggressors. These countries, part of the E3 group, have long criticized Iran’s nuclear program and regional activities but turn a blind eye to Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal and aggressive policies. Their complicity exposes a double standard. When Russia invaded Ukraine, Europe mobilized sanctions and aid. Yet when the US and Israel bomb Iran, they call for “negotiated solutions” without calling for accountability for the two nations’ criminal acts. This hypocrisy fractures global trust, as non-Western nations see the “rules-based order” as a tool for Western dominance, not justice.
The attack’s broader implications are equally chilling. By assassinating a sovereign nation’s leader without provocation, the US and Israel have set a dangerous precedent that undermines international norms. If such actions are justifiable based on perceived threats—real or imagined—then what prevents other nations from taking similar action against the leaders of nations they see as threats?
Consider a hypothetical. If a Middle Eastern country viewed Israel’s leadership as a genuine threat to regional peace, given its history of unprovoked attacks on neighbouring nations and decades long occupation of Palestinian lands, could it not invoke the same logic to target Israeli officials? Or, extending the thought, if China perceived US policies as a threat to its security, might it rationalize assassinating American leaders?
This is not an endorsement of violence but a stark illustration of the anarchy that would ensue when powerful states act as judge, jury, and executioner. The world would descend into chaos, with assassinations becoming the norm and declarations of war being issued, eroding sovereignty and inviting endless retaliation. As odious as aspects of Iran’s regime may be—its human rights abuses and suppression of women’s rights—murdering its leaders will achieve nothing but cycles of vengeance. If the West’s rationale holds, then rogue actors everywhere gain legitimacy, opening Pandora’s Box and lighting a global inferno.
In condemning this unjustifiable and barbaric attack, we are forced to confront the profound moral decay rotting at the heart of Western foreign policy. The actions of the United States and Israel, shamefully backed by Canada and key European enablers, are not mere aberrations but glaring symptoms of a global system that ruthlessly prioritizes hegemonic control over the sanctity of human life. As rescue workers continue to sift through the rubble of the girls' elementary school in Minab where at least 165 innocent children have been confirmed dead amid conflicting early reports of rising tolls, history will indelibly judge this not as a triumph over tyranny but as an eternal stain on the fabric of civilization—a grotesque tableau where the blood of the young fuels the insatiable fires of Western hypocrisy.
True peace can only be forged through unwavering accountability—impartial investigations under the auspices of international law, targeted sanctions against the aggressors, and a resolute recommitment to diplomacy rather than unjustifiable aggression. Anything less not only perpetuates the insidious evil that now indelibly scars Iran and imperils the world but condemns humanity to a future where the cries of slaughtered innocents echo unanswered, demanding that we rise as one to dismantle the machinery of imperial terror before it consumes us all.
© 2026 The View From Here. © 2026 Fareed Khan. All Rights Reserved.
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