Let me begin by making something clear. I am not a military expert. I have no access to classified intelligence, no friends whispering secrets to me from inside the Pentagon, and I have received no vision from God concerning this war.
What I have is an opinion—and a troubling feeling in my gut.
That feeling is that America has been left holding the bag.
Israel and the United States attacked Iran together. Israel regarded Iran’s nuclear and missile programs as threats to its national survival, and the United States joined the military campaign. Iran retaliated against both countries, and for a time, missiles were flying between Iran and Israel.
Then something changed.
Israel and Iran stopped attacking each other. Israel is no longer openly bombing Iran, and Iran is no longer directing its major attacks against Israel. Yet the United States continued bombing Iran, and Iran continued retaliating against American bases, personnel and interests across the Middle East.
Israel appears to have stepped back from the immediate battlefield, while America continues paying the price.
American service members are being killed and wounded. American military equipment is being damaged. American interceptor missiles and other weapons are being consumed. American taxpayers are financing the bombing campaign, the naval operations and the defense of military bases throughout the region.
Israel sought the weakening of Iran. Israel helped begin the military campaign. But now Israel is protected, for the moment, by a ceasefire with Iran, while the United States is carrying the greater burden of continuing the war.
Maybe there is a reasonable military explanation for this. Perhaps there are agreements and strategic considerations about which ordinary Americans know nothing. I will readily admit that I do not have all the answers.
Nevertheless, I believe Americans have a right to ask some serious questions.
If Iran and Israel have stopped bombing one another, why is America still bombing Iran?
If Israel no longer believes it must continue attacking Iran directly, why must American pilots, sailors and soldiers continue carrying the fight?
What exactly is America now trying to accomplish?
What does victory look like?
How many American lives will it cost?
How much money will the American taxpayer be required to spend?
At what point do we admit that America is fighting a war whose original beneficiary has stepped away from the battlefield?
It Would Make a Great Conspiracy Theory
This situation could certainly inspire a great conspiracy theory.
One might imagine that the entire war was designed to weaken the United States—deplete our missile stockpiles, exhaust our military, increase our national debt, damage our economy and open the door for a change in global power.
Russia and China can sit back and watch while America consumes weapons, spends billions of dollars and becomes trapped in another Middle Eastern war. They do not have to defeat us themselves if we weaken ourselves.
That would make a powerful conspiracy theory.
But I have no evidence that such a secret plan exists, and I will not present speculation as fact. There is already enough misinformation surrounding this war without adding another unproven claim.
Still, we do not need a conspiracy to produce the same result. Pride, poor judgment, political pressure and the absence of a clear strategy can weaken a nation just as effectively as a secret plot.
The results matter, regardless of whether they were planned.
America is spending its wealth. Our military stockpiles are being depleted. Our service members are being placed in danger. Oil and shipping disruptions are raising costs throughout the world. Russia and China are gaining strategic advantages without firing a shot at the United States.
That alone should cause us to stop and think.
Every Nation Is Looking After Its Own Interests
Israel is looking after Israel.
Iran is looking after Iran.
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries are looking after their governments, oil facilities and economies.
Russia and China are looking for opportunities to increase their global influence.
Who is looking after the interests of the American people?
I do not condemn Israel for placing its own national interests first. That is what governments do. But American leaders have a responsibility to place American interests first as well.
Being an ally does not require America to fight every war another country wants fought. Friendship does not mean giving another government control over American foreign policy. Supporting Israel’s right to exist does not require sacrificing American lives in an endless effort to destroy every enemy Israel fears.
There is a difference between defending an ally and inheriting its war.
Right now, it appears that America has inherited this war.
Maybe We Should Walk Away
If Israel and Iran can stop bombing one another, perhaps the United States should stop as well.
That does not mean surrendering to Iran. It does not mean trusting the Iranian government. It does not mean approving of Iran’s actions, religious leadership or nuclear ambitions.
It means recognizing that continued bombing has not produced peace.
The United States should halt offensive strikes, end the cycle of retaliation and return to serious negotiations. Iran should stop attacking American bases, military personnel and commercial shipping. Maritime traffic should be allowed to move safely, and disputes over Iran’s nuclear program should return to international inspection and diplomacy.
Walking away from an unnecessary war is not cowardice.
Sometimes courage means standing and fighting. At other times, courage means admitting that continued fighting serves no achievable purpose.
Proverbs tells us:
“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.”
— Proverbs 22:3, KJV
A prudent nation looks down the road. It counts the cost. It considers what another month, another year or another decade of war will mean.
Jesus also said:
“Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?”
— Luke 14:31, KJV
Before continuing a war, our leaders should sit down and count the cost. They should explain the objective, the risks and the conditions under which the war will end.
“Keep bombing” is not a strategy.
“Escalate until Iran surrenders” is not a realistic peace plan.
“Support our ally” is not a sufficient explanation when that ally is no longer openly participating in the fighting.
I cannot prove that America was deliberately deceived. I cannot prove that this war was planned to weaken the United States. I am not claiming secret knowledge or divine revelation.
I am simply looking at what is happening.
Israel and Iran have stopped bombing one another. Israel has stepped back. America is paying the financial and human cost. Iran is attacking American interests, and the conflict is draining American resources while threatening the global economy.
From where this old country preacher sits, it certainly looks as though America has been left holding the bag.
Maybe it is time to put that bag down.
Maybe it is time to stop bombing, return to the table and bring our service members home.
“Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”
— Psalm 34:14, KJV
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