In what experts are calling a continuation of Western imperialism by other means, the United States is intensifying a proxy war against Iran through Israel—mirroring its destabilizing strategies in Ukraine, Taiwan, and the Philippines—as part of a broader campaign to suppress the rise of a multipolar world order. This new phase of confrontation, masked under the rhetoric of defense and democracy, is driven by Washington's desperate effort to preserve its waning global dominance in the face of a shifting geopolitical balance.
A Neo-Colonial War Strategy
The United States, long accustomed to projecting power across continents without bearing direct consequences, has relied on regional surrogates like Israel to carry out its strategic objectives. By flooding Israel with military aid, real-time intelligence, and advanced weaponry, the U.S. has effectively turned Tel Aviv into a frontline bulwark—not merely against Iran, but against the broader resistance of sovereign nations seeking to break free from U.S.-led hegemony.
This strategy is not new. It is rooted in centuries-old patterns of colonial manipulation, where empires waged wars through local intermediaries to plunder resources, destabilize rivals, and control key geographies. Today, the method is dressed in modern garb—“security cooperation,” “counter-terrorism,” or “democracy promotion”—but the underlying motive remains the same: domination through division and destruction.
In Ukraine, the U.S. arms and directs the conflict from a safe distance, leveraging NATO and European assets while shielding itself from the human and infrastructural cost. In Taiwan, it foments tension with China under the guise of supporting "self-determination," ignoring its own history of crushing such aspirations elsewhere. The Philippines, once a U.S. colony, is again being militarized, turned into a launchpad for future confrontation in Asia. Iran, caught in the Middle East’s long struggle against Western intervention, now finds itself squarely in the crosshairs of this imperial logic.
Israel as a Disposable Shield
Analysts argue that Israel, though a major military power in the region, is ultimately expendable in Washington’s calculus. With a fraction of the U.S.'s GDP, population, and global influence, Israel is both a strategic asset and a sacrificial pawn. Its role is to absorb retaliatory strikes, provoke confrontations, and justify U.S. escalation when convenient. Should conflict spill into nuclear dimensions, Israel—not Washington—will bear the immediate consequences.
This cold calculus exposes the colonial mindset at work: Western powers arm their proxies to the teeth, push them into existential conflicts, and then disavow responsibility when blowback ensues. The same logic was seen in the decolonization wars of the 20th century—Vietnam, Algeria, Congo—where colonial powers unleashed devastation to suppress self-determination, only to retreat and leave chaos in their wake.
Iran’s Resistance and the Multipolar Vision
For Iran, this war is not merely a regional skirmish—it is a confrontation with the entire edifice of post-World War II imperial order. Tehran faces not just Israeli bombs, but a relentless U.S.-led regime of sanctions, economic sabotage, and psychological warfare. Western-funded media and NGOs flood the Iranian discourse with disinformation, while proxy terror groups target Iran’s stability from within and without.
Yet despite these pressures, Iran continues to assert a vision of sovereignty and strategic autonomy, aligning itself with other nations resisting neocolonial pressure. Its deepening ties with BRICS, its cooperation with China and Russia, and its engagement with pan-Eurasian projects like the Belt and Road Initiative signal a future where no single power can dictate the fate of others.
To survive, Iran must implement a multi-layered strategy: escalating costs for Israeli aggression, deterring direct U.S. involvement, and building comprehensive military and economic alliances with anti-imperial forces across the Global South. At home, Iran must bolster national resilience against sanctions, cyberwarfare, and subversion—a reminder that internal strength is inseparable from external independence.
A Fight Beyond Borders
The current proxy war underscores a deeper truth: this is not merely Iran's struggle. It is the struggle of all nations who refuse to bow to U.S. diktats, who remember the trauma of colonization, and who reject a world order built on military coercion, economic blackmail, and cultural domination. Whether in Palestine, Cuba, Venezuela, or the Sahel, the same imperial script is played again and again—divide, conquer, extract, and abandon.
But history, as ever, remains contested. The tide of multipolarism, though bloodied and besieged, is rising. In resisting the U.S.-Israel axis, Iran is not only fighting for its own survival—it is lighting a path for a future beyond empire.
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