Category: Foreign Policy

Iran: America’s War of Choice is Israel’s War of Necessity

Posted on

Counterpunch, March 10, 2026, by Daniel Falcone (quotes Zunes):
Stephen Zunes remarked just after the attack, “An Omani mediator said a nuclear agreement with Iran was within reach [and] in response, the United States and Israel started bombing… schools, hospitals, city parks, and cultural sites are being targeted in the United States and Israeli bombing of Tehran… This is not a preemptive war. A preemptive war is in response to an imminent attack. This is a war of aggression. A flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter.” Alarmingly, Trump stated over a month before the invasion that “I don’t need international law,” as he currently creates new norms. Zunes previously stated, “this war isn’t about nonproliferation, it’s about inflicting as much damage as possible on a country that isn’t willing to accept U.S. hegemony in the region.”

Zunes’s key articles on Iran 2011-2025

Posted on

Two articles and an interview during the summer 2025 bombing of Iran:
It’s Not About the Bomb
Missed Opportunity on Iran
Updates on the Iran-Israel War: Conversations with Leading Analysts

Debunking Trump’s claim that Iranians were responsible for the deaths of thousands of U.S. soldiers in Iraq:
No Evidence Iran is Responsible for the Deaths of Hundreds of Americans

For years, Republicans and hawkish Democrats have been pushing for war with Iran. Here are some articles in which I examined these dangerous efforts which have led to the current unfolding tragedy:
2018: Pompeo’s Iran Speech a Prelude to War? The Progressive
2016: Republicans and Democrats Alike Still Level Threats towards Iran Huffington Post
2015: Hardliners on All Sides Undermining Iran’s Nuclear Talks The Progressive
2013: U.S. Threats Weaken Iran’s Pro-Democracy Movement
2012: Congress Pushes for War with IranForeign Policy in Focus
2011: Iran Threat Reduction Act Actually Enhances Threat of War Huffington Post

What Are the Trump Administration’s True Objectives in Iran?

Posted on

Truthout, March 4, 2026, by Stephen Zunes [podcast]: Many of President Trump’s stated justifications for the US and Israeli war on Iran are demonstrably false… Much of it has to do with what was perceived as an opportunity. The Iranian regime has never been more isolated [and] U.S. hostility toward an independent-minded Iran has been a major component of U.S. foreign policy for decades, regardless of Israel…

Why is Trump going to war with Iran?

Posted on

48 Hills, San Francisco, March 1, 2026:Trump had no logical reason to start this war: A mediator from Oman just the day before the bombing started said the two countries were making good progress on a nuclear deal. The message instead: “The US can’t be trusted.” To suggest that this will lead to regime change is “naive,” Zunes says: The Revolutionary Guards have as much control of the country as the official supreme leader, and eliminating a few more top Iranians won’t matter much. The way could easily escalate and spread. The outcome: “This is just going to end up killing a lot of people.”

Interview: Could a US Strike Unite Iran Instead of Breaking It? Fair Observer

Posted on


Fair Observer, Feb. 28, 2026 (28 min): With nearly 600 US fighter jets, two carrier strike groups and 50 warships positioned around Iran, tensions in the Middle East are rising fast. In this episode of FO Talks, Professor Stephen Zunes examines whether a “limited strike” on Iran is even possible — or whether escalation is inevitable. We discuss the Strait of Hormuz, oil disruption risks, Iranian nationalism, regime change fantasies, Israel’s role, Gulf state reactions and how China and Russia might respond.

Interview: Is the US Planning to Throw a Lifeline to a Sinking UN?

Posted on

Inter Press Service, UNITED NATIONS, Feb 6 2026 (IPS)
Zunes is quoted about U.S. efforts to undermine the United Nations.
Dr. Stephen Zunes, Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of San Francisco, told IPS on the one hand, the United States has been in arrears in its payments to the United Nations quite a bit in recent years, but the UN has managed to get by. However, the extent of the Trump administration’s cutbacks and the ways they are being targeted at particularly vulnerable programs has resulted in this unprecedented fiscal crisis. “The hostility of the Trump administration to the United Nations is extreme. Trump has made clear he believes there should be no legal restraints on the conduct of U.S. foreign policy, so it is not surprising he would seek to undermine the world’s primary institution mandated with supporting international law and world order,” declared Dr Zunes.