The US and Israel launched a coordinated military attack on February 28, 2026, in Iran. A blatant imperialist rumour was aired that a military assault was necessary to change the leadership in the Iranian regime, because its plan to enrich uranium and build nuclear weapons has posed a threat to the security of the US and the Middle East. Its hidden purpose was to install a US puppet there, as the Iranian regime emerged as a regional power was an obstacle to the unhindered seizure of all natural mineral reserves (oil, gas) from the Middle East, including Iran. The US had prepared for war by announcing that it would remove the leadership of the Iranian regime within two days and install former Crown Prince Roza Pahlavi in its place. The US incited the opponents of the Khomeini regime, saying that “Assistance is on its way to reach Iran within a few hours”, and launched a military attack on Iran. Moreover, the US announced that it would wipe Iran off the world map if the American conditions were not accepted.
Ignoring the established international norm of not targeting political leadership in wartime, the US launched a devastating attack on Iran’s unarmed political and military leadership on the very same day, February 28. In the attack, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with the head of the Iranian Armed Forces, the defence minister, the top commanders of the Revolutionary Guard, intelligence chiefs and various senior officials were targeted. Right at the beginning of the war, Iran lost a huge number of political and military leaders.
The US had assessed that Iran would immediately surrender and the leadership of its regime would easily change after top-level commanders, including the religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were killed. However, the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Supreme Leader and the patriotic initiatives undertaken by the surviving leaders changed the situation in a way opposed to what the US government had anticipated. The patriotic populace rallied around the Iranian regime against the US imperialism and its puppet, the Israeli expansionist ruler. Millions of people stood as guards, day and night, to defend the bridges and factories that the US military had announced it would destroy in a missile strike. This is an unparalleled example of the patriotic stance of the people of Iran.
The war, which was supposed to end in two days, did not subside for weeks. Instead, it escalated one after the other. In the meantime, the US asked NATO countries for help. But none of them was prepared openly to support and cooperate with the US. Not only this, but some of the NATO countries were critical of the US military attack. On the other hand, US President Donald Trump did not hesitate to beg his rival countries, Russia and China, to stop the war. On the contrary, countries like Russia, China and North Korea indirectly supported Iran by supplying advanced technology and missiles. Thus, the whole world was divided into those for and against the war. Voices against the war began to rise within the US. Gradually, the backing turned in favour of Iran, and the only country that could stand up to the US and fight Iran was Israel.
In the course of the war, almost all of the US military bases in the Middle East have been destroyed. The capital, Tel Aviv, as well as major cities in Israel, and military and economic structures have been demolished. Iran also suffered a huge loss of life and property. No one has yet brought actual figures for all of this. However, what has become clear in the meantime is that Iran is ahead of the US in terms of technology and the quality of war materials. With the compulsion of the US imperialism to use American missiles made from more than $10 million to shoot down Iranian drones and missiles produced with an investment of less than $100 thousand, the ratio of expenses on war materials on the American side increased many times. Security experts have estimated that the US spent one billion dollars per day throughout this war. On the other hand, even a famous US online paper, CNN, has estimated that more than two-thirds of the US’s stockpiled war materials were used up in this war, while more than two-thirds of the high-quality war materials are still in stock with Iran. This shows the balance of power between Iran and the US at the time in terms of military equipment.
In this difficult situation, pressure on the Trump administration against the war increased from all quarters. In the backdrop of growing protests, economic crisis and skyrocketing inflation in the US, and non-cooperation and opposition from various power centres, including NATO allies, US President Trump repeatedly begged Iran to make a deal and withdraw from the war. Finally, on June 18, 111 days after the start of the war, US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeskian signed a memorandum of understanding, mediated by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to end the war. Trump signed the 14-point agreement at the Palace of Versailles in France on June 18, just after the G7 meeting ended. In essence, the 14 points are:
One, immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon; two, the US and Iran to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs; three, to sign the final agreement within a maximum of 60 days; four, the US to immediately begin lifting its naval blockade and fully end it within 30 days; five, to open safe passage for commercial vessels by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days free of charge; six, US to provide Iran with at least $300 billion in reparations for its reconstruction and economic development; seven, lift all U.S. sanctions against Iran; eight, Iran will not develop nuclear weapons and the uranium enrichment issue to be discussed and resolved later; nine, the U.S. and Iran to remain in the status quo until a final agreement is reached; ten, the U.S. to exempt the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and all related services until sanctions are lifted after the signing; eleven, to unfreeze Iran’s assets that the U.S. has frozen; twelve, establish an executive mechanism to monitor the implementation of this MoU; thirteen, the U.S. and Iran will begin negotiations for a final agreement on other issues after point nos. 1, 4, 5, 10, and 11 are implemented, and the fourteen, final agreement will be ratified by the binding resolution of the UN Security Council.
A few people had anticipated that the US uproar of decimating Iran at the beginning of the war would descend to the level of such understanding three months later. These points of the MoU make it clear that the US suffered a humiliating defeat in this war. U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the deal as a “great victory.” It’s just his self-satisfaction. Even people close to Trump have strongly criticised him for making too many concessions to Iran. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mujtaba Khamenei, expressed his support for the deal with some reservations. Talks are currently underway, with ups and downs, in Switzerland between the representatives of the two countries.
On the surface, people hope that this agreement will bring an end to the current war in the Middle East. But there is no room to believe it fully. First of all, it is not easy for the US to fulfil all the conditions that it has accepted in the agreement. Some people have said that this understanding may be a trick of the US to gain time to prepare for a bigger war. Second, it has sown the seeds of a bigger problem by creating new contradictions in the region. Contrary to the agreement between Iran and the US, Israel has not stopped its military offensive on Lebanon. Israel is trying to keep the US stuck in the Middle East war. Thus, this alone does not seem to end the war in the Middle East.
However, after the signing of this MoU, there are only two possibilities. First, the final agreement between the US and Iran will be signed within a specified time frame of 60 days. Second, the MoU is aborted before the specified time. There is no third option.
If an agreement is reached with the US, based on the above MoU, Iran will be established as a major power in the region. Rebel forces such as Hezbollah, the Houthis and Hamas will be even stronger. The countries of the Middle East, including Israel, which acted in support of the US as of today, will lose the ability to compete with Iran, which has gained a military capability to shake the foundations of the US. Again, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that “We are not slaves of the US” should not be taken for granted. His statement does not suggest that Israel will turn away from its expansionist objectives, whether it gets US support or not.
On the other hand, it is worth noting that Iran has not yet acknowledged the existence of the State of Israel. In such a situation, the risk of Iran attacking its regional rival state, Israel, to remove it from the world map will increase further. In this way, the agreement that is now being made by keeping Israel aside does not seem to end the war in the Middle East, but will sow the seeds of a bigger war.
Two main points in the 14-point MoU can prevent the US from signing the final agreement. They are number 6 related to compensation and number 8 related to uranium enrichment and nuclear weapons. Trump said on Truth social media that “The US is paying $300 to Iran is fake news”. Vice President J.D. Vance said the proposed $300 billion would come from regional allies, not from the U.S. taxpayers. On the other hand, the question of uranium enrichment and nuclear weapons is at the heart of the conflict between Iran and the US. It is almost certain that Iran will not sign the final deal unless the US agrees with these two points, and there is a possibility that the US will not accept them at all. This means the agreement will break in the middle, resulting in a more dangerous war.
Thus, whether or not there is a final deal based on the 14-point MoU between Iran and the US, it is unlikely that war will end and there will be peace in the Middle East. During the ceasefire, the US attacked Iran on June 26, and Iran retaliated at a US military base in Bahrain on June 27, causing a huge loss on both sides. Some people have doubted that this will be the end of the ceasefire. In any case, whether Iran and the US sign the final deal or not, the Middle East will not be free from war. Imperialism means war, and as long as imperialism exists, war will not stop in the world, not to mention the Middle East.
Finally, after the overthrow of King Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the US puppet, by the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1972, US imperialism used various strategies to bring the rulers of the Islamic Republic to their knees and dominate the Middle East. Economic sanctions were imposed, and military leaders were killed, but Iran, an oppressed country, never bowed down to a prevailing imperialist country, the US. Iran did not bow down to the recent unprovoked war imposed by the US and Israel that killed Iranian political and military leaders and shattered strategic and economic infrastructures. On the contrary, Iran succeeded in bringing the US to the table to sign a 14-point MoU. The MoU between Iran and the US makes it clear that if the people of the oppressed countries are ready to fight to defend national independence and sovereignty, they can bring any powerful imperialist country to its knees. This sacrificial struggle and stand of the Iranian people have taught the people of the oppressed nations an important lesson.
While arriving here, it is necessary to be clear about two things. First, even if the anticipated final agreement is signed, it does not mean that Iran will be free from imperialist oppression forever. As long as imperialism exists in the world, the underdeveloped and developing countries continue to be victims of some forms of imperialist oppression. Iran is no exception. Second, even if the US withdraws by way of war or diplomatic deal, the liberation of Iranian workers, peasants, and the general oppressed people will not be possible under this reactionary regime of Iran. Scientific socialist revolution is the only way to emancipate the proletariat and the oppressed people of the world, including Iran. There is no other way to emancipate the entire oppressed people of the world from the clutches of imperialism and their running dogs.
6/28/2026
