The neocons have started yet another war!

2026-02-28 - 18:02

The US and Israeli attack on Iran shows that the neocons still have influence over American foreign policy. Yet Trump had promised his voters he would end neocon policies and "endless wars." Easier said than done. In the end, Trump also gave the order to strike Iran a second time to do Israel's bidding. Just as he did in June 2025, Trump launched the attacks while continuing negotiations with Tehran. It's become clear that for Trump, negotiations and diplomacy are just for show—they hold no real significance for him. A bill had been drafted in the US House of Representatives by Republican Representative Thomas Massie and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna. A similar bill in the US Senate, introduced by Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Rand Paul, was moving forward separately. Both bills require the Trump Administration to get congressional approval before using force against Iran. Congress hasn't exercised its war powers politically for quite some time. The Khanna-Massie bill, expected to be debated this week, stands no chance of passing the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a slim majority. Within the Democratic caucus, there are enough pro-Israel members ready to vote no. The Democratic leadership team, meanwhile, seemed eager to pin the political responsibility for an attack on Iran solely on Trump. With support for Israel among the Democratic base at rock bottom, the start of the attack on Iran came as a huge relief for the pro-Israel Democratic leadership. Trump handed them that political cover. Israel wanted a full-scale war from the US aimed at "regime change." Trump appears to have given Israel and the neocons that war. The justifications Trump has put forward for the attack have no basis in reality. The Israel/neocon playbook staged in Iraq in 2003 is being restaged in Iran in 2026. Last year, Trump declared that Iran's nuclear capacity had been destroyed. Now he's claiming Iran is days away from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and so on and so forth. In a new Gallup poll released Friday, 41% of Americans said they sympathize more with the Palestinians, while 36% sympathize more with the Israelis. Between 2001 and 2020, sympathy for Israelis typically ranged from 55% to 60%, while sympathy for Palestinians hovered around 15% to 20%. Among young Americans, support for Israel is much lower. Even among young Republicans, support for Israel is at levels that would greatly trouble Israel. Republican voters' support for Israel is at its lowest point in two decades. Although Republicans still support Israel far more than Democrats do, this is gradually changing. Commentary on the latest Gallup poll specifically notes that this is the first time sympathy for Palestinians has surpassed sympathy for Israelis among Americans. Americans also aren't keen on a US-Iran war. According to a poll conducted last week by The Economist/YouGov, only 27% of Americans support military action in Iran, while 49% are opposed. Numerous previous polls also showed a majority of Americans were against a war with Iran. The polls couldn't stop Trump. Midterm elections are coming up in November. Israel, not wanting to wait for the political consequences of shifting American public opinion against it, wanted Trump to start a war with Iran as soon as possible. The "Israel Lobby" and the neocons, masters of disguise who can adapt to any political color, were trying to convince Trump to launch a full-scale attack on Iran. The neocons and Israel view US Vice President JD Vance with suspicion, labeling him an "isolationist." In an interview published in the Washington Post on Friday, Vance described himself as skeptical of foreign military interventions, stating, "The US is unlikely to enter a prolonged war in the Middle East." Vance, who appears to favor a short-term US strike on Iran, doesn't want to lose the support of those on the Right who oppose "endless wars" as he looks ahead to the 2028 presidential election. Starting a war is easy; stopping one is not so simple. History is full of examples where those who started wars couldn't stop them later, even when they desperately wanted to. The war with Iran has begun, and whatever the plans may be, the war will ultimately develop its own dynamics and momentum. The neocons got what they wanted initially, but will it unfold the way they hoped?