The Independent: War on Iran portends terrorism, chaos and the proliferation of nuclear weapons

Journalist Sam Kelly has warned that an unprovoked attack by the United States and Israel on Iran could open the door to a dangerous phase of regional chaos and cross-border escalation, with the risks of the spread of terrorism and the expansion of the nuclear arms race.

The Independent’s global affairs editor said the bombing would not be limited to the frontlines, as citizens in Middle Eastern countries were called upon to take shelter in anticipation of Iranian retaliatory strikes, but their political and security effects would extend far beyond the region.

The strikes, which US President Donald Trump has described as a major combat operation, establish a new international logic based on unbridled force, which may encourage other authoritarian regimes to do the same, and the attack may be widely understood as targeting Islam, increasing the likelihood of radical mobilization and fueling new waves of violence.

After some 80,000 people were killed in Gaza and the Strip was leveled, Israel has continued to expand its seizure of remaining Palestinian land in the West Bank, which, along with strikes on Iran, will lead to violent reactions and fuel terrorism.

Although Kelly acknowledges in her article that the Iranian regime’s record of internal repression, regional interventions, and support for armed forces in several arenas.

Kelly asserts that overthrowing governments by military force is not a sustainable solution, and that there are international frameworks – such as the previous nuclear deal – that provided a path to contain Iran’s nuclear program before it was abandoned.

Sam Kelly argued that the recent developments send a dangerous message to the world, that the possession of nuclear weapons may be the only guarantee to deter invasion or foreign intervention, citing cases such as Ukraine, which has given up its nuclear arsenal, which would have protected it from any invasion, and Venezuela, which does not have an arsenal to protect it at all, noting that other countries in the region may reconsider their nuclear calculations.

The US-Israeli strike not only threatens to destabilize the region and escalate terrorism, but also puts the international order to a deep test, as it weakens the idea of international law and reinforces the logic of nuclear deterrence as an option for survival, foreshadowing a more turbulent and dangerous world.