{"id":83187,"date":"2025-06-18T08:15:35","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T07:15:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.taxresearch.org.uk\/Blog\/?p=83187"},"modified":"2025-06-18T08:15:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T07:15:35","slug":"are-there-ways-out-of-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taxresearch.org.uk\/Blog\/2025\/06\/18\/are-there-ways-out-of-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Are there ways out of war?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the FT has noted<\/a> this morning:<\/p>\n

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Netanyahu is good at starting wars, but it\u2019s ending them that matters<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It is a comment I agree with.<\/p>\n

I must especially agree because, as far as I can see, there is no reason for a war against Iran at the moment, except for Netanyahu's desire to:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Distract attention from Gaza<\/li>\n
  2. Distract attention from his own ongoing political difficulties<\/li>\n
  3. Create a feeling within Israel that he cannot be removed because there are wars in progress.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Iran does not have nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n

    The US has agreed in military briefings that Iran is not creating risk on these grounds at present.<\/p>\n

    And as a matter of fact, Israel does not have the means to destroy Iran's nuclear capability, even if it were under threat from it, meaning that it is inherently dependent on US involvement and escalation of this conflict, for its objectives to be achieved.<\/p>\n

    So, it all comes down to the US position, and no one has a clue what Trump will do. Let's not pretend otherwise. The man is far too unpredictable, and maybe cognitively challenged, to make anything approaching a predictable decision on this.<\/p>\n

    What should be done? I suggest:<\/p>\n