This is not the first time the US has taken the military route to attempt regime change in countries that do not follow its doctrine.
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The world appears to be on the brink of another prolonged war as the United States of America (US) refuses to learn lessons from its past mistakes. After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, it was expected that the US would restrain itself from imposing its wishes and policies on other nations. However, the recent attack on Iran by the US-Israel combine clearly shows that Washington has once again ignored the fact that no foreign power can determine the fate of another country’s regime; such change should come from within.
This is why, despite strong backing from the US, the Shah regime collapsed in Iran. Even this time, the war has already entered the third week irrespective of the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei within hours of the US military strike. The US failure to utilise the political vacuum to its favour clearly indicates that although Iran may not have a proper and orderly set-up of governance in comparison to many nations of the world, it still stands strong against foreign invasions.
This is not the first time the US has taken the military route to attempt regime change in countries that do not follow its doctrine. Driven by its ambition to dominate global politics, the US attacked Vietnam in the mid-1960s to prevent the spread of communism. To this day, Vietnam remains one of the most cited examples of the failure of American interventionism, widely condemned across the world.
The US has faced similar setbacks in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. Yet it continues to pursue policies that many believe reflect a desire to dominate world affairs, often without recognising that such aggressive approaches may do more harm than good, increasing instability and suffering across the globe.
On several occasions, US actions have defied logic, appearing to serve its own strategic interests rather than the broader good of the international community. For example, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had long been at odds with Washington. When earlier attempts to remove him from power failed, the US invaded Iraq on the pretext of eliminating weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Even today, no such weapons have been found. Instead, the war devastated Iraq, and since 2003 the country has struggled to achieve political stability.
The US should recognise that it is virtually impossible to install governments of its choice in every country. The more it attempts to pursue this objective, the more isolated it risks becoming. Already, several NATO member nations have reportedly refused to join the war against Iran despite US appeals. Such developments suggest that US hegemony over global affairs may be declining.
Rather than intervening in the internal matters of other nations, the US should focus on building constructive and respectful relationships with countries around the world.