In the context of the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, the following headline has emerged:
No, the USS Nimitz Will Not Be Destroyed in a False Flag Operation
The article dismisses the claims as fake news and labels them a conspiracy theory, placing the blame squarely on viral Internet rumors. If you're not up to date, the controversy centers around the USS Nimitz, an aging aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East to support potential U.S. involvement in the ongoing conflict.
"In this case, the evidence is that USS Nimitz is scheduled to be retired and sent to Norfolk, Virginia, next year for recycling. That is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take five years or more."
The presumed sinking of this aircraft carrier by Iran would provide the United States with justification for a full-scale military response. Such an incident could serve as a pretext for escalating involvement and legitimizing subsequent actions.
Several historical incidents are also being brought into focus for comparison:
The USS Liberty incident was an attack on a United States Navy technical research ship (a spy ship), USS Liberty, by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and Israeli Navy motor torpedo boats, on 8 June 1967, during the Six-Day War.[2] The combined air and sea attack killed 34 crew members (naval officers, seamen, two marines, and one civilian NSA employee), wounded 171 crew members, and severely damaged the ship.[3]
GULF OF TONKIN Incident (Vietnam War)
The Gulf of Tonkin incident (Vietnamese: Sự kiện Vịnh Bắc Bộ) was an international confrontation that led to the United States engaging more directly in the Vietnam War.
The United States government falsely claimed that a second incident occurred on 4 August, between North Vietnamese and United States ships in the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. Originally, US military claims blamed North Vietnam for the confrontation and the ostensible, but in fact imaginary, incident on 4 August. Later investigation revealed that the second attack never happened.
This led to the full-scale Vietnam War and the loss of so many lives.
Shall we even mention here about Saddam Hussein and his famous WMD?
U.S.-led inspections later found that Iraq had ceased active WMD production and stockpiling.[1] Some have argued the false WMD allegations were used as a deliberate pretext for war.[8] After the failure to find WMD stockpiles, some conjectures were put forward, without substantial evidence, that the weapons might have been hidden or sent elsewhere.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has approved a war plan against Iran, claiming the country is dangerously close to acquiring nuclear weapons—despite the fact that National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has not been able to confirm this assessment.
Gabbard’s politically perilous position burst into the open this week when Trump brushed her back over her testimony to Congress in March. At that time, she said the U.S. intelligence community did not believe Iran was building a nuclear weapon — a comment at odds with Trump’s recent public statement about the threat posed by Iran’s potential nuclear program.
As a side note, Israel has been claiming since the 1980s that Iran is close to developing a nuclear bomb. At the same time, Israel itself is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, although it has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of its nuclear arsenal.
“I don’t care what she said. I think they were very close to having one,” Trump told reporters Tuesday on Air Force One.
But is this truly about preventing nuclear proliferation, or is it merely a pretext for regime change in Iran and a step toward consolidating Israeli dominance in the region?
Only time will tell.
