April 5, 2026 : Written by 404EthanNotFound
We’re cooked. The United States is not prepared for the coming shitstorm. It has been over one month since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran. The bulk of the consequences for our belligerence are ever looming on the horizon, though some are already here.
On February 28, 2026, Israel and the United States began the latest escalation against Iran, though this escalation was different from before. The U.S. has been on this track since the first Trump administration unilaterally tore up the Iran Nuclear Deal also known as the ‘Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action’ (JCPOA) crafted by the Obama administration (https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/JIPA/Display/Article/3533492/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-joint-comprehensive-plan-of-action/).
Long-time readers will know that I am not the biggest fan of the Obama administration. I believe many of the failed promises of the Obama administration and the failure to hold the Bush administration accountable for the war crimes committed during the Iraq War laid the foundation for Donald Trump’s rise to power. This being said, the JCPOA was perhaps the Obama administration’s greatest accomplishment. In short, it would have ensured that Iran only pursue enrichment of Uranium for generating electricity via nuclear power plants (a level of enrichment that is factors below what is required for a nuclear weapon). Third-party inspections would regularly take place to ensure that Iran was in compliance. In return, Iranian funds which were frozen by the U.S. (imagine the outrage if another country froze U.S. assets) were allowed to be returned to Iran (this is where the talking point that we gave Iran billions of dollars stems from). This deal showcased how diplomacy could produce great results. President Trump in his infinite wisdom, or perhaps infinite envy, decided that President Obama’s shining achievement, the JCPOA, needed to be destroyed at all costs, no matter the consequences.
Despite the U.S. and Israel provoking Iran at every opportunity, the Iranians had, until now, responded with tremendous restraint. When the first Trump administration assassinated one of Iran’s major generals, Qasem Soleimani, major escalations did not occur. When the U.S. did a Top Gun style strike, that the public was told at the time completely destroyed Iranian nuclear weapons program capabilities, major escalations did not occur. Even with Israel constantly showering Iran with missile fire, major escalations did not occur. Things are different now.
Iran is a very different place than the U.S. Their country is run differently. The Iranian people undoubtedly have experienced less freedoms than the average American. Personally, I find it difficult to judge those on the receiving end of western imperialism. It is impossible to determine what freedoms might be gained from an oppressive government, what changes and progress could be made if not for foreign intervention at the hands of world superpowers. Look no further than Cuba as an example. Who knows what prosperity those on the island nation may have been able to accomplish, if not for the U.S. constant meddling, attempts of political assassination, and today’s full blockade of fuel to Cuba (all because the U.S. capitalist class could not afford to see a successful example of socialism/communism off their shores)( https://cri.fiu.edu/us-cuba-relations/chronology-of-us-cuba-relations/).
When all available resources are being used to stave off U.S. intervention, it becomes obvious why these governments have oppressive elements. Even though I have plenty of problems with the government of Iran, ranging from the mass killing of protestors and the persecution of those outside the allowed forms of religious practice, the United States is not justified in dropping endless bombs on this nation (certainly killing more of the protestors we so desperately feigned trying to save) and turning the situation in yet another quagmire which has already had devastating effects on the world economy with no end in sight. The U.S. lost this war in Iran the minute it started. The Iranian and American peoples will suffer because of the decisions our authoritarian government has decided. The top 1% of the 1%, the ones who play god without permission, have already cast the dice. They have socialized the costs of this war while privatizing the gains. Look no further than the god-emperor President bragging how high oil prices actually help the U.S.
10. American Jihad
A variety of justifications have been claimed ranging from dismantling of a non-existent nuclear weapons program to saving the Iranian people from a brutal regime. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, would most certainly justify this conflict as a Holy War. His far-right Evangelical Christian nationalist views are no secret, nor is his disdain for Muslim people. Perhaps allowing the President to install a toady who LARPs as a Crusader was a mistake (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/04/donald-trump-iran-war-evangelical-nationalists-moral-world-order-pete-hegseth).
I am completely opposed to religious fanaticism and fundamentalism. While I firmly believe that everyone should be given the freedom to pursue personal religion as they see fit, personally, all that racket ain’t for me. I have been able to experience aspects of all three of the major religions during my time on this Earth and my personal conclusion was that I do not require a religious text to be a good person.
I stopped believing in god when I was thirteen. While I can appreciate the community and calls to defend the least among society, I find that religious beatitudes are rarely seen in today’s world. I attended a Christmas Eve mass in 2024. I occasionally will go to holiday events like this for my family. I remember earnestly pleading with God during the entire ceremony to free the Palestinian people. I have watched in horror as the genocide of the Palestinians has escalated without end. A god who would leave that prayer unanswered, who would sit idly by as we commit the most ungodly atrocities, will never have my respect, only my rage.
The religious fanaticism, the violence, the complete faith in charismatic leaders had led us to perhaps one of the darkest chapters in human history. An American Jihad where we pledge our loyalty to an administration who would have our troops go die in Iran for personal enrichment. They use religious fervor as a gross justification, blanketing this war as a ‘crusade’ or a ‘holy war’ that must continue.
Another facet of this war is the U.S. - Israel partnership. The settler-colonial vision of Israel, or Zionism, has been allowed to act without impunity since the inception of the state in 1948. In recent events, catalyzed by the Biden administration, the nation-state of Israel has had nigh unlimited U.S. military munitions support, allowing the Israeli government to be increasingly belligerent to its Middle East neighbors, including but not limited to Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, and the West Bank.
Let me reiterate that anti-Zionism is not anti-Judaism or antisemitism. The state of Israel does not represent global Judaism. There are many bad faith actors who conflate anti-Zionism as racism against Jews. To those who are still timid about the distinction, I would highly encourage listening to this Majority Report interview with Molly Crabapple. Trust me on this one.
I find it more helpful to view Israel as an arm of American empire. Israel acts as an attack dog for the U.S. in the Middle East and largely could not act in this manner if not for the endless U.S. munitions that our tax dollars provide. The aggression shown by Israel has not made the world a safer place for the Jewish people, rather it has done the opposite as antisemitism is on the rise.
There is a sect of Christianity that supports Israel in its expansionist vision (Christians United for Israel, or CUFI) because they seek to bring about the Rapture. To them, the Rapture will represent the destruction of the Jewish people, all congregated in Israel, and the return of Jesus Christ. The biblical death and destruction that paves the way for this religious fever dream may be here. We have wrought hell on earth. The images coming out of Tehran after the U.S. targeted oil reserves were gut-wrenching (https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/iran-war-israel-us-tehran-oil-refineries-acid-rain-global-markets-rcna262390).
Fire engulfs Tehran after U.S. missiles target oil reserves. Oil rained from the sky as black sludge in the following days.
Watching videos of oil rain during the following days made me sick to my stomach. The untold damage we have done to generations of Iranian people to come is frankly unforgivable. The disease and ecocide that the U.S. has so casually inflicted upon a civilian population is reprehensible. I remember the nearly 10-minute period where the reason for the U.S. escalations was to free the citizens of Iran from a ruthless regime. Then we bombed a girls’ school. And then we bombed it again. We have freed the citizens of Iran…from this mortal coil. Great job America (https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/03/usa-iran-those-responsible-for-deadly-and-unlawful-us-strike-on-school-that-killed-over-100-children-must-be-held-accountable/).
The duality of fascism is remarkable. The President is depicted by the right-wing as a strong man, the peak of masculinity, the pinnacle of intellect who is rightly feared by our enemies. At the same time, any action which has consequences could not possibly be the fault of the President. I.C.E. causing a commotion and killing people? Not a problem, the administration will simply throw Kristi Noem or Pam Bondi under the bus and install a new dumbass of the week. Oil prices skyrocketing? The most obvious consequences of war with Iran could not possibly have been foreseen by the Trump administration. The U.S. is capable of carrying out this war against Iran by ourselves, but also Europe please send troops to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Give me a fucking break.
The cracks in the administration are beginning to become canyons. Despite force feeding messages that we have achieved air superiority over Iran through a complicit corporate media; the obvious truth is that the U.S. has vastly overestimated the ability of the U.S. Armed Forces to achieve their objectives. Look no further than the A-10 ‘Warthog’ and F-15E fighter jet which were both damaged by Iran. One of the airmen of the F-15E was stranded for multiple days in Iran and was rescued early Easter Sunday. It is unclear if additional casualties were incurred to reclaim this soldier (https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/19/politics/f-35-damage-iran-war).
The cost of this war is being intentionally obscured. Casualty counts of wounded and killed American soldiers are more than likely being hidden from the American public who already find the conflict with Iran deeply unpopular (https://theintercept.com/2026/04/01/iran-war-us-casualty-numbers-trump-hegseth/).
I have friends who are serving in the military. I do not want them to be injured or die. I especially do not want them to die for the whims of god-emperor Trump. This war is completely unjust, unwarranted, and unsanctioned by Congress (for whatever little that is worth). I would recommend my friends in the armed services are familiarized with the process to conscientiously object to immoral actions should they be headed to cause harm to the Iranian civilian population (https://girightshotline.org/en/military-knowledge-base/conscientious-objection-discharge/).
I fear for the safety of U.S. troops as well, many of whom enlist for the social safety net and education opportunities which the military provides. As ground invasion of Iran seems inevitable, I sit on pins and needles fearing that escalations may happen any minute due to the extended Easter weekend and extended closure of the markets. I fear that the U.S. troops may be walking into a slaughter as they are unprepared for the task at hand.
The overestimation of the U.S. military capabilities stems from two major factors, in my opinion. Firstly, the U.S. military budget is overflowing with corruption. The Pentagon was funded to the tune of $1 trillion for 2026. With so much money rife for the taking, the capitalist class does what they do best, extract wealth. Billionaires like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel utilize government contracts to extract large portions of the Pentagon budget, seeking to maximize profits and minimize costs. It does not take a genius to see how the military might of the United States would become degraded as capitalists look for any opportunity to cut corners and provide the bare minimum in service. The Pentagon has failed their yearly audit every year since they were required to start in 2018. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) crafted a report in which they determined that the Pentagon would continue to fail audits through 2028 if significant changes were not taken (https://www.congress.gov/119/meeting/house/118371/documents/HHRG-119-GO06-20250611-SD004.pdf).
Changes are unlikely as President Trump has proposed a 50% increase in the Pentagon budget from $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion dollars at the expense of a 10% cut to all social programs (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-budget-proposes-10-cut-discretionary-spending-increased-defense-spending-2026-04-03/). Do you think this additional $500 billion dollars will actually go towards the military or simply be handed out to any defense contractor who gives the President the best head?
The second major factor of the diminish U.S. capability is the changing style of war. The U.S. uses equipment that costs billions of dollars to make and millions of dollars to maintain. The Iranians are using cheap drones ranging from $20 to $50 thousand dollars per unit. The interceptor missiles that the U.S. uses to down these drones cost $4 million per unit. In this war of attrition, it is not difficult to see how unsustainable our military efforts are.
I am most nervous what the President will do when this fragile house of cards falls. Ego will simply not allow the President to admit defeat of any capacity. When conventional war-fighting with aircraft and bombs begins to fail, will the President back down from this conflict, or escalate to nuclear arms? The President’s Easter post on Truth Social does not fill me with confidence that he can do anything other than escalate. (https://www.axios.com/2026/04/05/trump-iran-strait-hormuz-bombing-threat).
I may not be a man of faith, but I hold a fervent belief that it is imperative to hold these war criminals accountable when this is over. The belligerence that the United States and Israel have shown the rest of the world will come home to roost, making us all less safe. I do not know how this conflict will end, but I believe in humanity’s ability to coalesce and make positive change. The recent ‘No Kings’ protests are ever encouraging. While they may not bring about material change on their own, they represent gateways for further organizing and an outlet for the discontent and dissatisfaction that a majority of Americans are experiencing. This being said, our discomfort is completely meaningless as you and I sit in the heart of empire, with our government responsible for the worst atrocities around the globe. Our uneasiness and uncertainty for the future are negligible. It is like air resistance in a basic physics problem, deserving to be ignored completely. You and I are not the victims, so it is important that the comfort of the American people not be the central priority. The barrel of the gun that is western imperialism is not pointed at you or I.