Déjà Vu of Deception: How Western powers recycle war rhetoric of 2003 against Iran

Department of Research, Studies and International News 24-06-2025

As tensions intensify in the Middle East, particularly between the United States, Israel, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the international community is once again witnessing the revival of familiar, dangerous rhetoric. The same narratives that justified the invasion and devastation of Iraq in 2003 are being recycled with alarming precision, this time with Iran as the new target.

Just over two decades ago, on May 1, 2003, then-U.S. President George W. Bush stood aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq. “Today, we have the greater power to free a nation by breaking a dangerous and aggressive regime,” he proclaimed. It was a speech wrapped in triumphant language, but its legacy was catastrophic: hundreds of thousands of Iraqis killed, American soldiers lost, and a once-stable region plunged into chaos and sectarian division.

Fast forward to 2025, and one need not look far to hear the echoes of those same misleading assurances. American and Israeli leaders now frame their aggression toward Iran in eerily similar terms. Ostensibly, the rationale remains unchanged: to thwart the development of so-called nuclear weapons and to “neutralize threats.” Iran, however, maintains, with transparency and international oversight, that its nuclear program remains exclusively peaceful and geared toward civilian energy and medical research.

This narrative repetition is not coincidental, it is strategic. Israel, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has for over 30 years claimed that Iran is on the brink of acquiring nuclear arms. In 2002, Netanyahu stood before the U.S. Congress urging the invasion of Iraq, falsely alleging Baghdad was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. His voice was among the loudest in the choir that led to the illegal invasion of Iraq. Despite comprehensive searches, no WMDs were ever found.

Today, Netanyahu echoes those same unfounded alarms regarding Iran, amplified by Washington’s political and military elite. But this time, the consequences of such a campaign could be far more dangerous. Iran is not Iraq. It is a sovereign regional power with deep historical, strategic, and cultural roots, and it is backed by robust alliances with Russia and China, two nations that have consistently called for diplomacy and multilateralism over war and coercion.

What makes the current climate particularly volatile is the subtle yet clear indication of regime change ambitions. The U.S. has a long history of orchestrating coups and interventions in West Asia, actions that have left long-lasting scars on entire populations. The current narrative, under the guise of “democracy promotion” and “human rights,” is a veiled continuation of the same imperialist doctrine that destabilized nations like Libya, Syria, and Iraq.

The Western media, complicit in promoting the official narratives of Washington and Tel Aviv, often omits critical voices and perspectives from Tehran, Moscow, or Beijing. Instead, it paints a monochromatic picture of good versus evil, conveniently erasing the complex realities on the ground and the legitimate security concerns of nations that refuse to bow to American and Zionist hegemony.

It is essential to scrutinize this propaganda. If history teaches anything, it is that the use of fear, especially surrounding nuclear weapons, is an effective tool in rallying public support for war. But it also teaches that such wars come at a great cost: shattered nations, broken families, and destabilized regions. Iraq is a testament to that.

Russia and China have rightfully called for restraint and dialogue, urging all parties to engage through the framework of international law and the UN Charter. Both nations understand that Iran’s stability is crucial for regional and global balance, and they reject the unilateralism and warmongering that define the U.S.-Israeli approach.

The global south, including many Arab and African nations, is increasingly wary of the U.S.’s intentions. The tide is shifting. No longer can the narrative of the “liberator” disguise the face of the occupier.

As the drums of war beat once again, the world must ask: how many more times will the same lies be repackaged and sold under different names? And how long will the international community allow itself to be manipulated by the same actors, repeating the same playbook, regardless of the cost in human lives?

Iran is not alone, and it is not Iraq. The resistance this time will not be unipolar