Western hypocrisy calls for Iran to de-escalate, not retaliate

Independent Australia
25 Jun 2025, 11:30 GMT+10

In the upside-down logic of Western diplomacy, bombing is peace and retaliation is provocation, writes DrBinoy Kampmark.

DE-ESCALATION has become one of those coarse words in severe need of banishment, best kept in an index used by unredeemable hypocrites. It is used by the living dead in human resources, management worthies and war criminals. Its almost always used to target the person or entity that exerts retribution or seeks to avenge (dramatic) or merely overcome (mildly) a state of affairs imposed upon them.

You might be bullied in the workplace for being fastidious and conscientious, showing up your daft colleagues, or reputationally attacked by a member of the establishment keen to conceal his corrupt practices. When contemplating retaliation, the self-appointed middle ground types will call upon you to de-escalate the situation, insisting that you appeal to the better side of your bruised nature. After all, you know it was your fault.

The joining of the United States in the war against Iran made Washington a co-conspirator to soiling international law and profaning its salient provisions. The U.S. was in no immediate danger, nor was there any imminent threat, existential or otherwise, to its interests vis--vis Tehran. Yet PresidentDonald Trump, having had the poison of persuasion poured into his ear by Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, had succumbed.

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His will annexed to that of the Israeli Premier, Trump ordered the U.S. Air Force on 22 June to conduct bombing raids on three Iranian nuclear facilities: Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow. They were recipients of that hefty example of phallocratic lethality known as the bunker buster, theGBU-57AMassive Ordnance Penetrator. With his usual unwavering confidence, Trumpdeclared in an addressto the nation that all the countrys nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.

In violating international law and desecrating that important canon injuncting states from committingcrimes against peace, Israel and the United States are not the ones being told to restrain their violence and acknowledge breaching the United Nations Charter, risking yet another conflagration in the Middle East.

It is their targeted state, the Republic of Iran, whose officials must de-escalate and play nice before the diplomatic table, abandoning a nuclear program, civil or military. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, Trump directs, must now make peace.

With suddenness, the advocates and publicists for international law vanished across the broadly described West. In Europe, Canada, the U.S. and Australia, the mores and customs observed by states could be conveniently forgotten and retired. In its place reigned the logic of brute force and unquestioned violence. Provided such violence is exercised by that rogue combine of Amerisrael, deference and dispensation will be afforded.

The same could never be said for such countries as China and Russia, abominated for not accepting the rules-based order imposed by Western weaponry and force.

The lamentable, plaintiff responses from Brussels to Canberra tell a sorry tale: pre-emptive war waged against a countrys nuclear and oil facilities is just the sort of thing that one is allowed to do, since the rotter in question is a theocratic state of haughty disposition and regional ambition. You can get away with murdering scientists in their sleep, along with their families, liquidating the upper echelons of their military leadership and killing journalists along the way.

The approved formula behind these responses is as follows. From the outset, mention that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. If possible, underline any relevant qualities that render it ineligible to any other state that has nuclear weapons. Instruct Tehran that diplomacy is imperative and retaliation terrible. Behave and exercise restraint.

Attack on Iran shows Trump's incredible weakness

Trumps reckless strike on Iran has unleashed chaos, emboldened Israel, and brought the world closer to a catastrophic new war.

UK Prime Minister SirKeir Starmer,speakingfrom his Chequers country retreat, said it was clear Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, which was why our focus has been on de-escalating, getting people back around to negotiate what is a very real threat in relation to the nuclear program.If one was left in any doubt who the guilty party was, UK Business SecretaryJonathan Reynoldshelpeddispel it, calling Iran a threat to this country, not in an abstract way, not in a speculative way.

German ChancellorFriedrich Merz, after convening his security cabinet on the morning of 22 June,conveyedhis views through German government spokespersonStefan Kornelius:

French PresidentEmmanuel Macronsimilarly got on the de-escalation bandwagon with gusto, giving ateacherly warningto Iran to exercise the greatest restraint and dedicate itself to renouncing nuclear weapons. It was the only credible path to peace and security for all. Macron conveniently skipped past the huge elephant in the room: Israels illicit possession of nuclear weapons undeclared, unmonitored and extra-legal as a factor that severely compromises the issue of stability in the Middle East.

From the European Union, the attackers and the attacked were given equal billing. I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,urged Kaja Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission. The obligatory Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, as it would be a threat to international security followed.

European Commission PresidentUrsula von der Leyenalsothought it perfectly sensibleto matronly instruct the Iranians on the next step:

All these comments are deliciously rich given that Israel has never entertained negotiations on any level with Iran, dismissive of its nuclear energy needs, while the first Trump Administrationsabotagedthe diplomatically brokeredJoint Comprehensive Plan of Actionthat successfully diverted Tehran away from a military nuclear program in favour of a lifting of sanctions.

Talk from Amerisrael and their allies would seem to be heavily discounted, if not counterfeit. The glaring, coruscating message to Iran: Retaliation bad; de-escalation good.

DrBinoy Kampmarkis a Cambridge Scholar and lecturer atRMIT University. You can follow Dr Kampmark@BKampmark.