In his recent momentous address to the nation and the world, President Trump provided a definitive status report on Operation Epic Fury. Lauding the military for achieving more in weeks than prior administrations had in decades, he stressed the essence of the operation: to stop the theocratic terrorists fulfilling exactly what they have chanted endlessly, ‘Death to the Great Satan, America’. There is overwhelming evidence not only that this was to be achieved by firing nuclear-armed missiles into the very heart of the United States, but also that the capability to do it was imminent. Heading that off is a just war indeed.

Having recently boasted to US diplomats how close they were to possessing several atomic bombs, observers realised how advanced their missile technology was when they fired on Diego Garcia, far beyond the limitations they had agreed to. This action stands in stark contrast to the naive Obama deal and that of his amanuensis, Biden. These involved handing over billions to the Iranians, enabling their access to nuclear technology and accepting the word of a criminally corrupt terrorist regime.

Meanwhile, Trump has labelled certain Nato partners as ‘treacherous’ for their refusal to provide basic support, with the UK initially abandoning the ‘special relationship’ to restrict access to the Akrotiri base in Cyprus as well as Diego Garcia. Spain not only denied the use of joint bases but also closed its airspace to US combat aircraft.

Despite an initial show of support for the President’s resolve, Australia’s contribution has been defined by a pre-emptive withdrawal of anything worthwhile. Even before any request was made, the Albanese government announced it would not deploy a single ship to the Strait of Hormuz. Since then, the Prime Minister has complained about a lack of ‘advance consultation’ (see ‘Why Canberra was not told,’ 2/4), calling for the war to end and provocatively and falsely claiming the war objectives are unclear and the exit strategy non-existent. The result is that while America has long defended the West, the West has abandoned America the moment action is required.

The technical reality of these failings was underscored by US Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, who has detailed the ‘sweeping’ process required to protect shipping from the twin threats of mines and drones. He pointed out that this dangerous work falls almost exclusively on the United States Navy. The lack of physical contribution from other Western nations – the primary beneficiaries of the oil flow – is justifiably seen from Washington as a fundamental dereliction of duty.

The war has revealed some extraordinary failures by the Australian political class. As seen from recent reports on oil stockpiles, the refusal to adopt the Trumpian ‘drill, baby, drill’ mantra and a curious, infantile, costly investment in climate catastrophism – which cannot have the slightest effect on the climate – the Australian political class has proven itself to be the West’s most catastrophically incompetent, or even worse. The notable exception has been One Nation, the party defamed as policy-free by the elites (see ‘One Nation’s ten-year crusade to secure Australia,’ 20/3). According to the constitutional standards argued by one of our constitutional founders, Sir Samuel Griffith, such a failure to secure the nation’s survival suggests that the government could have lost any mandate to lead.

And now Trump has issued a chilling ultimatum to the mullahs: if the regime does not concede, he would systematically destroy their sole source of income – their oil infrastructure. He signalled a willingness to return the regime to the ‘stone age’, a threat strongly supported by Republican eminence Senator Lindsey Graham, who described the address as a ‘21st Century Berlin Wall moment’, arguing that the Iranian people were ready for change. He suggested that hitting the regime’s wallet was the most effective way to force a collapse without a protracted ground war.

This strategy requires a vital caveat. Before economic destruction is triggered, it is to be hoped that an alternative government can be declared and take over. Understandably, the Iranian people are wary. After the recent uprisings were suppressed with such visceral brutality – leaving thousands murdered – asking for a spontaneous nationwide revolt is asking for a martyr’s end. A more strategic approach would be the liberation of a specific enclave – not necessarily the capital – where an interim government could be declared under Western protection.

Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi is the singular figure with the recognition and the policy framework to lead such a transition. His offer to the people is not a forced restoration, but a choice: a proposal for a secular democracy where the people decide by referendum whether that should take the form of what is so successful, or more likely to be successful, in Iran.

Trump has the hammer, but Pahlavi has the blueprint for what comes after the walls fall.

As noted in my Flat White column on 30 March, when Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi took the stage at the recent Maga-dominated Cpac conference in Texas, it was to a fervour usually reserved for Donald Trump himself. Amidst a sea of Iranian flags and Miga (Make Iran Great Again) banners, the Crown Prince delivered a message that resonated with the core of the movement: ‘You cannot reform a snake. Venom is in its DNA.’

Once enunciated, the truth of the Crown Prince’s insightful comment was widely acknowledged. This is a truth which curiously escaped all American presidents from Jimmy Carter down to Joe Biden, with the sole exception of Ronald Reagan – the architect of ‘peace through strength’. It is also overlooked by those who see the Islamic Republic as President Trump’s victim, especially in the political class, the mainstream media, and among the allies.

This oversight is especially extraordinary given that the mission of the Islamic Republic within the ‘Axis of Evil’ (Moscow-Beijing-Pyongyang) has always been clear: the ultimate destruction of both Israel and the USA. That this extends to the allies and even neutrals has been amply demonstrated in recent weeks.

Without being the arbiter as to who should rule, the proclamation of a new government should be aided by sequestered funds being handed to his care and due recognition given.

Javid Shah! Long live the Shah!