New Delhi:
After 12 days of intense bombing and missile attacks, life is now returning to normal both in Tel Aviv and Tehran as the US-brokered ceasefire now appears to be holding. People in both countries have been asked to come out of the bunkers. Airspace in the Middle East has now reopened with international flights resuming. At the NATO summit in Europe, US President Donald Trump, claiming credit for the ceasefire, said, “The US hit on Iran ended the war…Iran’s nuclear programme has been put back by decades..” Asked if the US would strike Iran again if it rebuilds its nuclear enrichment program, Trump replied: “Sure”.
Trump lashed out at the US media, naming CNN and New York Times, after an intelligence report prepared by the Defence Intelligence Agency got leaked, which stated the American B-2 bomber strikes did not damage the core components of Iran’s nuclear program. Trump called the CNN and NYT reports as “fake news” and claimed that the US strikes “were one of the most successful military strikes in history…The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed.”
Meanwhile, Iran has claimed that it has secretly moved most of its enriched uranium to an undisclosed location before the US B-2 bomber strikes. Questions are being raised on whether the US had advance information when Iran fired 13 missiles at the US air base in Qatar, because no major damage was reported. The US Air Force had removed all its fighter planes from the base. Was it mere posturing? Why did Trump give six hours’ time to Iran and Israel to enforce a ceasefire? Did he want to give time to both to square up? Trump has also said that he is not interested in a “regime change in Iran” because it could create more anarchy. He said Iranians were good businessmen, they know how to bargain and Iran has huge stocks of oil.
In the last 12 days, Trump took U-turn several times. Sometimes it appears as if the US attack on Iran’s nuclear sites was pre-scripted. Iran’s missile attack on US air base in Qatar also appears to be somewhat scripted. Israel is happy because the US has destroyed Iran’s enriched uranium stocks. Iran is happy because it has taken revenge by attacking US air bases in Qatar and Iraq. Trump is happy because both Iran and Israel accepted his ceasefire deal. But some scenes in this ‘happy ending’ film raise several questions. Iran knew beforehand that America would use its most powerful GBU bombs on its nuclear sites. Iran claims it shifted its enriched bomb-grade uranium elsewhere.
When Iran fired missiles at the US air base in Qatar, all except one missile were easily intercepted and neutralized. The lone remaining missile fell at a deserted spot. Neither the US nor Qatar faced any damage. It is clear that the US knew where Iranian missiles would be fired and when. All aircraft and ammunition were removed from the US air base beforehand.
It now seems that even the ceasefire plan was prepared in advance. Were these countries engaged in a drama, for public consumption? It is difficult to say. The manner in which the 12-day missile war began and ended naturally raises questions.
