The Guardian: Trump's War Drives Iran Towards the Nuclear Bomb

SadaNews - It seems that the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran may lead to the very outcome they claim they are trying to prevent, namely pushing Tehran to make a decisive choice to produce a nuclear weapon, according to The Guardian newspaper.

Foreign affairs commentator Simon Tisdall wrote that instead of eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat, the war convinces Iran that nuclear deterrence is its only guarantee for survival.

The author criticized the justification given by President Donald Trump's administration for waging war, which claims that Iran poses an "imminent threat" due to its nuclear ambitions, stating that it's a flawed justification because "Iran does not possess nuclear weapons, while the United States and Israel do."

Commenting on the current war, Tisdall noted that "with every bomb dropped, every ship detained, and every horrifying threat of annihilation," Iran's motivation to reject diplomacy increases, leading it instead to seek nuclear weapons for self-defense. He believes that the leaders of the Revolutionary Guard now consider nuclear weapons to be "the only sure way to deter future attacks."

The author pointed out that the United States and Israel have attacked Iran twice (in June 2025 and February 2026) without warning, even in the midst of diplomatic negotiations, which has destroyed trust in any future settlement.

Even if Trump offers what he calls the "great deal," many Iranians, according to Tisdall, believe that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot be trusted, making nuclear deterrence more credible than any diplomatic guarantees.

Tisdall also criticizes Trump's strategy of "erasing" the Iranian nuclear program by force, asserting that scientific knowledge cannot easily be bombed or destroyed, no matter how much facilities are targeted or scientists are assassinated.

The author clarifies that Iran still possesses local expertise and may not even need to rebuild the program entirely on its territory, as it could obtain nuclear technology or even ready-made nuclear warheads from allies like North Korea or possibly Russia.

The article places Iran within a broader historical pattern, where countries without nuclear weapons, such as Iraq and Ukraine, have been attacked by stronger powers. Ukraine abandoned its nuclear arsenal in 1994 in exchange for Western security guarantees that later proved worthless when it was invaded by Russia.

As for Iraq, which had no nuclear deterrent, it was invaded by the U.S. in 2003, and Tisdall believes these examples reinforce the belief that nuclear weapons alone protect sovereignty.

On the other hand, the author criticizes the hypocrisy of major nuclear powers within the framework of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, as non-nuclear states are asked to refrain from arming themselves while nuclear powers continue to modernize their arsenals.

He also reminds that Trump withdrew in 2018 from the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, which was negotiated by Barack Obama, calling it a "foolish decision" that directly contributed to the current crisis.

Tisdall's warning extends beyond Iran. If Tehran decides to pursue nuclear weapons, regional powers like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey may follow suit. Elsewhere, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea might reach the same conclusion.

He warns that if "illegal aggression by arrogant nuclear powers that believe might makes right" continues, the world may revert to the nightmare of Cold War mutual assured destruction.

For Tisdall, the lesson is clear: diplomacy and enforceable international law are the only ways to prevent nuclear proliferation; war makes possessing the bomb seem like a rational and justified option.