Why the US must not go to War with Iran

Today, Prime Minister Cameron announced he would stand with the Obama administration in urging Israel not to launch a military strike on Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu responded by declaring that the possibility of an Israeli offensive against Iran is currently very low. All nations, however, remain committed to deterring Iran from enriching it's nuclear program and gaining access to nuclear weapons.

The rhetoric surrounding this issue has been quite alarming in recent weeks. The US currently imposes heavy sanctions against Iran in an attempt to halt it's nuclear programs. The strict limitations against investing in Iranian industries and trading with Iranian companies has severely damaged the economy of Iran at the level of its working class but has done little to change the position of the regime.

The threat of the hated West ganging up with their archnemesis Israel is creating all the more incentive for Iran to plow ahead with its nuclear initiative in order to acquire a nuclear bomb. Nuclear nations are seen as global strategic players in the modern era of international security, and Iran no doubt seeks to use this leverage to push the West out of its affairs. Already, the country is surrounded by Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey (all staunch US allies) and US troops stationed in Afghanistan.

This is a defining moment for the Middle East as the Arab Spring continues to cut its bloody course through the Fertile Crescent. As Iran sees regimes toppling left and right around it, it will start to feel more and more vulnerable to threats. It already has a shaky history with the US, who opposed the Ayatollah regime in the Iran-Iraq War during the 1980's.

The Israeli push for a military strike against Iran could potentially result in a war that would claim thousands of lives on both sides and end up exacerbating the already fragile state of the Middle East. There is even a potential for nuclear war should ethnic and religious tensions come to a boiling point. This is one instance where the US needs far-sighted political leadership and not a blind support of Jerusalem in order to help maintain stability in a volatile region. It will be detrimental for all parties involved if US politicians stir up a war just to win an election cycle.