Category: Nuclear and Chemical Weapons

nuclear and chemical weapons

Operation Epstein Fury Part 8. Is It Finally Over?

Posted on

Zunes quoted in Wyoming Star, April 10, 2026, by Joe Yans:
“Despite US and Israeli claims to the contrary, Pakistani mediators and others have confirmed that the agreement for a two-week halt to the fighting and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz was contingent on a ceasefire in Lebanon. European leaders and other US allies have underscored the importance of the ceasefire applying to Lebanon as well. Israel’s US-backed air strikes have gone well beyond Hezbollah military targets to include heavy bombing of crowded urban neighborhoods.”

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

It’s Not About the Bomb

Posted on

The Progressive, August 5, 2025, by Stephen Zunes [source & audio]
It would be a mistake to view the U.S. bombing of Iran and support for Israel’s twelve-day war on that country as simply about preventing the Iranian regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Ultimately, it’s about punishing Iran for its refusal to acquiesce to the hegemonic aspirations of the United States and its Middle Eastern allies. There was a time when Iran was the most important ally of the United States in the region. In 1953, the CIA facilitated the overthrow of Iran’s democratically elected government following its nationalization of the country’s oil resources…