The Iran war did not start on 28 February!
Reading the war, conflict and tensions in the Middle East, which imperialist-Zionist barbarism has turned into a bloodbath, by overlooking their causes and focusing only on the latest developments prevents us from seeing the bigger picture.
The Iran war did not begin with the US and Israel's attacks on 28 February. The war is merely the second act of the 12-Day War that began on 11 June 2025. The war did not begin with the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 either. And this war is not just an Iranian war.
The foundations of the war were laid in the political climate of the post-Cold War era, in the early 2000s at the White House. The quest of American imperialism to establish a new order in the Middle East, as it did throughout the world, took shape during this period.
The article ‘Transforming the Middle East’ by Conozlidze Rice, then US National Security Advisor and later Secretary of State, published in the Washington Post on 7 August 2003, explains why today's events are happening.
A BLOODY PROJECT IMPLEMENTED STEP BY STEP
At the heart of the matter lies the transformation of the region stretching from North Africa to Iran and Pakistan in line with American imperialist ambitions and Israeli interests. This project, known as the Greater Middle East Project (GME), involves aligning and redesigning 22 countries stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Caspian Sea.
The 2001 Afghanistan war, the 2003 Iraq invasion, the 2011 Libya, Yemen, Syria interventions, the Gaza, Lebanon attacks after 7 October 2023, and finally the first Iran war on 11 June 2025 are all products of this bloody project.
THE OBJECTIVES AND ROADMAP OF THE ‘GREAT TRANSFORMATION’
The Greater Middle East Project, an attempt to transform the region into a ‘rose garden without thorns’, was first attempted during the 2011 Arab Spring. The second phase was the Abraham Accords, proposed during Trump's first term. The third phase began with simultaneous wars and attacks following the 7 October attacks.
Imperialist domination: One of the primary aims of the bloody ‘great transformation’ is to rebuild the region in line with American imperialist interests. To achieve this, regimes that could be a ‘hindrance’ in the region must be eliminated. After Libya, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, Iran is next in line.
Israel's security: Another important pillar of the project is ensuring Israel's ‘security.’ Israel's expansionist policies and massacres are a major source of unrest in the Middle East. The aim is to neutralise regimes, leaders, countries and ‘non-state actors’ that resist Israel.
Neoliberalisation: The aim is to open up the Middle East, the world's energy reservoir, to neoliberal domination in all its components. The countries of the region are not integrating into the global neoliberal system at the pace desired by the US. These regimes are being eliminated one by one.
Making room for compliant Islamists: Making room for Islamists who are products of the ‘Green Belt’. With the elimination of actors in the Middle East who have “issues” with the US and Israel, the ‘moderate’ Islamists brought to power are playing an important role in the regional design. Putting ‘compatible’ jihadists in power in Syria, the strategy in Palestine, and finally a similar search in Iran are complementary moves.
WHAT IS THE FINAL PLAN OF THE US AND ISRAEL?
While the Tehran-Washington talks were ongoing, the military build-up against Iran was a sign that the US and Israel would attack Iran under any circumstances. It was clear from the outset that the ostensibly diplomatic talks were not intended to reach a compromise. Even if Tehran accepted all of the US's conditions, the attack would still take place.
WHY?
In order for the American administration and Israel to maintain the ‘bloody order’ they are trying to establish in the Middle East, Iran must absolutely be removed from the equation. Iran's survival with its current power and position means a setback for the ‘new Middle East order’. The possibility of Iran, whose sphere of influence is shrinking and whose allies in the region are being lost, once again powerfully confronting the US-Israel in the coming period is the biggest cause for fear.
And naturally, even if Tehran accepted all the conditions put forward, it would not have been able to escape being the target of imperialist-Zionist aggression.
From 7 October onwards, with the support of the US and Western powers, Israel-Washington's ultimate target, which turned the Middle East into a bloodbath, was Iran.
While the US and Israeli attacks continue, various scenarios regarding the objectives of the war are being discussed.
Regime change: Israel, the US and Western imperialism's most important goal is undoubtedly to bring about fundamental regime change.Working with moderate actors: If a radical regime change cannot be achieved, then cooperation will be sought through new actors. The regime will remain, but its resistance will be weakened through more ‘moderate’ actors.Destroying military capacity: Regardless of the course of the war, Iran's military capacity and nuclear programme are to be rendered completely ineffective. The ultimate goal is to settle the score left unfinished in the 12-Day War of 11 June.
IRAN WILL NOT BE THE LAST WAR!
American imperialism is seeking to re-establish its declining hegemony through war, conflict and intervention. The attacks it has launched simultaneously across the world, not just in Iran and the Middle East, are the products of this plan. America's search for a new order means more pain, death and tears for peoples, societies and countries.
The Trump administration will not be satisfied with the current attacks; it will implement new war policies after Iran. The problem is not Iran, but the capitalist-imperialist barbarism's desire to overcome its crisis through wars and maintain its existence!
Humanity's salvation lies in overthrowing this bandit imperialist-capitalist order. As Rosa Luxemburg said a century ago: Either socialism or barbarism. There is no other way out.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled İran savaşı 28 Şubat'ta başlamadı!, published in BirGün newspaper on March 4, 2026.
