In response to Donald Trump’s address to the nation on the war on Iran, the Party for Socialism and Liberation issued a statement condemning his new threats against the Iranian people, along with the entire war of aggression that has caused chaos throughout the region and the globe. 

The statement noted how, “Donald Trump used his address to the nation tonight to issue what can be described as nothing other than a genocidal threat: “We’re going to hit [Iran] extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong”. In his anger and desperation to bring about something that can be passed off as a U.S. victory, Trump is pledging the wholesale destruction of Iran and its people.”

The PSL statement argued that, “Iran has always denied that its nuclear program had a military component, but the country does retain enriched nuclear material in several locations across the country, which presumably constituted the supposed ‘threat’ that Trump identified at the start of the war. But in a shocking reversal, Trump told Reuters earlier today “I ​don’t care about that”. Even George W. Bush and the other architects of the ‘weapons of mass destruction’ lie during the Iraq War would blush and Trump’s shameless hypocrisy.”

Further, it stated that, “What have been the actual results of Trump’s war on Iran? Nothing but death, destruction and chaos. Nearly 2,000 Iranians, including hundreds of children, have been killed. Over 1,200 Lebanese have been killed in Israel’s war on the country waged in concert with the attack on Iran. Over 100 are dead in Iraq along with dozens in the Gulf states. 13 U.S. servicemembers have died and hundreds have been wounded. And for what? It is clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that this war was fought for nothing other than Trump’s twisted desire to run the whole world.”

Full statement from Party for Socialism and Liberation

Donald Trump used his address to the nation tonight to issue what can be described as nothing other than a genocidal threat: “We’re going to hit [Iran] extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong”.

In his anger and desperation to bring about something that can be passed off as a U.S. victory, Trump is pledging the wholesale destruction of Iran and its people. The bombing has already been horrific, targeting civilian infrastructure and massacring people in every corner of the country. Now, Trump has told the public, it will intensify to new heights and somehow bring about the swift conclusion of the war.

This promise that “victory is right around the corner” is a hallmark of U.S. military quagmires over the decades. Trump’s speech tonight was eerily similar to many presidential addresses during the Vietnam War, when the public was assured that there was “light at the end of the tunnel” if only the war went on for a little longer. This echoes in Trump’s claim tonight that “we are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly”.

But Trump’s assertion that victory over Iran is all but achieved is one of his most ludicrous lies yet.

Trump’s victory lie

Compared to previous wars of aggression, the Trump administration put very little effort into preparing public opinion ahead of launching the attack on Iran, and did not even bother to communicate a set of goals at the onset. Despite using U.S. taxpayer money to fund the massive war machine he has unleashed on the country, and also using taxpayer dollars to pay for the weapons Israel is using in this war, Trump did not feel it was necessary to even explain to the public why he was initiating this conflict.

Eventually, the administration did settle on a somewhat consistent set of objectives, although the exact wording used by top officials still shifts day by day. On every count, Trump has failed.

Without evidence, and contrary to his claim last year to have “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, Trump claimed that war on Iran was necessary to ensure the country would not develop nuclear weapons. Iran has always denied that its nuclear program had a military component, but the country does retain enriched nuclear material in several locations across the country, which presumably constituted the supposed “threat” that Trump identified at the start of the war. But in a shocking reversal, Trump told Reuters earlier today “I ​don’t care about that”. Even George W. Bush and the other architects of the “weapons of mass destruction” lie during the Iraq War would blush and Trump’s shameless hypocrisy.

There is no threat to the U.S. public from Iran. In fact, for years Iran gave international inspectors access to its nuclear facilities to prove that no weapons development was taking place. Iran’s nuclear program was in fact initiated with the help of the United States, back when the country was ruled by a dictatorial pro-U.S. monarchy. The country was engaged in negotiations with the United States right up to the moment the bombs started falling. Iran’s president noted in an open letter to the American people that “Iran has never, in its modern history, chosen the path of aggression, expansion, colonialism, or domination. Even after enduring occupation, invasion, and sustained pressure from global powers—and despite possessing military superiority over many of its neighbors—Iran has never initiated a war.”

The administration has vowed to destroy Iran’s missiles and its capacity to produce them. But Iran’s retaliatory strikes against U.S. forces throughout the region and the regimes that host them have not let up. Iran is firing dozens of missiles per day, in addition to drones. Last week, Reuters reported that U.S. intelligence has only been able to confirm that one-third of the country’s missiles have been destroyed. And earlier today, Iran launched one of its largest barrages yet targeting Israel. The idea that Iran’s missile arsenal has been built up to launch wars of aggression against neighboring countries is a fantasy, but it does remain a powerful deterrent against future attacks by the United States and Israel.

Iran’s biggest point of leverage has been its capacity to shut down shipping through the Strait of Hormuz – a narrow waterway vital for global energy, agricultural, and high-tech industries. Trump has been so enraged at the closure of the strait that he has publicly threatened to commit horrific war crimes unless Iran reopens it – including attacks on civilian infrastructure like electricity plants and facilities that provide drinkable water.

But all of a sudden, Trump changed his tune. On Monday, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt denied that opening the Strait of Hormuz was one of “the core objectives of the operation”. The next day, Trump claimed that the task of reopening the waterway was “not for us” and that instead the European powers that rely more heavily on exports that transit the strait should “go get your own oil”. Iran remains firmly in control, and has even implemented a new toll system where vessels from countries not at war with Iran can pay a fee in exchange for safe passage.

Perhaps Trump’s most laughable lie is that he has achieved “regime change” in Iran. While the U.S. and Israel have killed many Iranian officials, the government itself remains firmly in place. Iranians have taken to the streets in huge numbers – but as part of mass rallies supporting the war effort to defend the country, not in an effort to topple the authorities. The Supreme Leader was assassinated on the opening day of the war, but his son was swiftly elected to take his place. Trump claims to be negotiating with the “new regime president”, but the president elected in 2024 remains in office. The leaders that have taken the place of their assassinated predecessors have vowed to keep up the fight until Iran receives guarantees that it will not be attacked again.

The outcome of Trump’s war: Death, destruction, chaos

What have been the actual results of Trump’s war on Iran? Nothing but death, destruction and chaos. Nearly 2,000 Iranians, including hundreds of children, have been killed. Over 1,200 Lebanese have been killed in Israel’s war on the country waged in concert with the attack on Iran. Over 100 are dead in Iraq along with dozens in the Gulf states.

13 U.S. servicemembers have died and hundreds have been wounded. And for what? It is clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that this war was fought for nothing other than Trump’s twisted desire to run the whole world.

Meanwhile, the global economy has been thrown into turmoil. The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States reached $4 this week – something that will reverberate in every corner of the economy as costs associated with the transportation of goods go up. And in other parts of the world that rely more heavily on fuel that passes through the Strait of Hormuz, the situation is even more dire. The Philippines had to institute a 4-day work week to conserve energy, and South Korea’s stock market crashed in the worst single-day decline in its history. Chemicals vital for the production of fertilizer cannot be exported, threatening a global agricultural crisis and widespread hunger. The vast quantities of helium that are shipped through the Strait, used in the manufacturing of high-tech computer chips, are also stuck. Economists expect it to take months for exports to return to normal even after a ceasefire is reached.

Israel has vowed to continue its invasion of Lebanon regardless of what happens in Iran. The genocidal regime hopes to permanently occupy a vast section of the country’s south, 20 miles past Lebanon’s border up to the Litani River. This terrible war of aggression, which has displaced one-in-six people in the country, must end immediately.

In opinion polls and demonstrations in the streets, it has been apparent since the beginning that the people of the United States reject this war. Trump ran for office promising to be a president of peace, taking advantage of widespread public opposition to forever wars in the Middle East. Now he is presiding over a massive regional war of his own creation – a war he is now threatening to deepen. Amid a spiraling cost of living crisis and record inequality, we need to take a clear stand and demand that the public’s money be used to meet human needs, not sow death and destruction in Iran while making executives at weapons manufacturers even richer.