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Iran, Israel, and the US 2026

Wednesday, April 1 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
The Humanist Cafe
Discussion Forum 
Free* And Open To All!

Wednesday April 1, 2026 – 7:00-8:30 pm
Cook Street Activity Center
380 Cook St. (Cook St. Village), Victoria

Limited free parking and free street parking

(There are 12 free parking spaces behind the building directly across from The Center which can be accessed from Oscar St.  It is almost always empty in the evenings.)

Please Use The Side Entrance (beside the construction site)
Purchase Coffee/Tea nearby at The Moka House – BYO mug!

 

* * * *

 

Topic –  Iran, Israel, and the US 2026

Presenter and moderator:  Barrie Webster

At the end of February, the US and Israel joined forces in the attack on Iran. The focus ostensibly was on the perceived likelihood that Iran was developing a nuclear weapon.

New York Times – https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/us/politics/trump-war-iran-israel.html

To put Iran into perspective, here is some history of post-World War II Iran; how US Imperialism shaped the Iran we see today. The term imperialism is used advisedly.

https://zeteo.com/p/how-us-imperialism-shaped-the-iran

As to the thinking behind going to war, Donald Trump has been quoted as saying “I may have a plan or I may not”. Thus it is clear that Trump has not thought through what comes after the war. In actual fact, the likely course of conflict between the US and Iran has been war-gamed. Here are five key points according to Ilan Goldenberg.

  • When the regime feels existentially threatened, Iran will escalate

  • It is easy to close the Strait of Hormuz. It is hard to reopen it

  • Russia always wins

  • The aftermath is incredibly costly

  • Buying time was always the best option

https://zeteo.com/p/i-wargamed-iran-for-obama-this-is

Goldenberg says, further, “A major US-Iran war is not some unknowable black box. People have spent decades studying it, gaming it, and thinking through its consequences. The conclusion has been consistent: it would be enormously costly for Iran, for the United States, for the Middle East, and for the global economy.”

Kevork Almassian in Internationalist 360 elaborates on the US position and why it appears that Iran does not want to stop now.

https://libya360.wordpress.com/2026/03/15/irans-samson-option

Questions:

1. Was the attack of Iran justified?

2. Do we understand the motivations of a) the US, b) of Israel, and c) of Iran in regard to the attack?

3. What will be the future course of the war?

4. What effects will the war have on us in Canada?


See you there!  Bring a buddy!
*Donations gratefully accepted
www.vsha.ca

Details

  • Date: Wednesday, April 1
  • Time:
    7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Venue

Organizer

  • VSHA
  • Email glynneevans.1945@icloud.com