War against Iran; ultimate manifestation of US subservience to Israel: Analyst
The war against Iran is “the ultimate manifestation” of Washington’s subservience to Israeli policy, according to Michael Rectenwald, author and former professor at NYU, who argues that the conflict will drain American resources while advancing Israeli regional dominance.
In an interview with Muslim Press, Rectenwald said the United States had already become “Israel’s munitions depot and ATM” before the war, arguing that American blood and treasure were spent not for US security but for Israel’s strategic ambitions.
He further suggested that speculations surrounding Israeli leverage over former US President Donald Trump “weren’t far-fetched,” asserting that US policy decisions reflected coercion rather than an “America First” approach.
Rectenwald, founder of the Anti-Zionist America Political Action Committee (AZAPAC), also warned prior to the conflict that Russia and China would likely escalate their involvement after a war against Iran—a prediction that materialized as the conflict expanded, raising the risk of global confrontation.
He described Trump’s anti-war campaign promises as having been “betrayed entirely,” citing the escalation into war with Iran as the culmination of this betrayal.
Below is the full text of the interview:
Dr. Rectenwald, you had argued before the war that a US war against Iran would push America into a “slave state for Israel’s expansionist dreams.” Could you elaborate on that point now that the war has happened? And also, what goals was the Israeli regime pursuing through this war?
As the founder of AZAPAC, I’ve consistently argued that US foreign policy was hijacked by Zionist interests, turning America into a vassal state that funds and fights Israel’s wars. The US war against Iran became the ultimate manifestation of this subservience. It drained American blood and treasure—trillions in costs and thousands of lives—while advancing Israel’s regional dominance, not US security. We had already seen this pattern before the war: the US acted as Israel’s munitions depot and ATM, providing over $33 billion in aid since October 2023 alone, enabling genocide in Gaza, and aggression in Lebanon and Syria. The war on Iran was the logical next step. This wasn’t an alliance; it was extortion. Netanyahu and his ilk provoked escalations knowing the US would foot the bill and provide the muscle, pushing us into endless conflict to fulfill Israel’s “Clean Break” strategy from the 1990s, which aimed to topple regimes like Iraq, Syria, and Iran for Greater Israel ambitions. Iran was the last major holdout, and this war solidified Israel as the unchallenged hegemon in the Middle East, all while America spiraled into debt, inflation, and backlash. We weren’t defending freedom; we enslaved ourselves to a foreign agenda that prioritized its expansion over American interests.
There had been widespread speculations that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blackmailing US President Donald Trump with the Epstein files. What’s your view now, looking back?
The Epstein saga reeked of intelligence operations, and the Mossad connections were impossible to ignore. Ehud Barak’s frequent appearances in Epstein’s logs, visitor records, and communications pointed to Israeli involvement—likely a honeypot scheme to compromise powerful figures for leverage. Trump, with his own Epstein ties, fit the profile of someone potentially ensnared. Speculations that Netanyahu used these files to blackmail Trump weren’t far-fetched; looking back, Trump’s administration bent over backward for Israel—bombing Iranian sites in June 2025, deploying troops to Gaza, and ultimately building up the armada that struck Iran. This wasn’t “America First”; it was Israel dictating policy through coercion. The “Epstein class”—that pedophiliac elite—thrives on such dirt, and the selective release of files likely explained Trump’s pivot from anti-war rhetoric to enabling Israel’s belligerence. Until there’s full transparency on those files, including Mossad’s role, we’ll keep seeing US sovereignty eroded by foreign manipulation.
Commentators had argued that Russia and China would get much more involved if the US and Israel launched a war against Iran. What’s your take now that the war has happened? Also, did that create a deterrence effect against the war on Iran?
Absolutely. Russia and China did ramp up involvement once the US and Israel launched their full-scale war on Iran. It had already begun with joint naval exercises like Maritime Security Belt 2026 in the Strait of Hormuz, involving warships from all three. This wasn’t just posturing; it was a clear signal of a “trilateral strategic charter” for mutual defense, including intelligence sharing and military tech transfers. Iran was a key node in the so-called “axis of pariahs,” providing energy security to China and a buffer against US dominance for Russia. Once we attacked, we saw missile strikes on US assets, attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz, and broader escalation—with Russian support in Ukraine intensifying and Chinese moves in Taiwan as distractions. This created massive deterrence that the Trump administration ultimately ignored. Trump’s armada might have looked imposing, but facing a united front from nuclear powers like Russia and China turned what was supposed to be a “quick strike” into World War III risks. This is why the war’s aftermath has been so catastrophic—Beijing and Moscow’s silence beforehand wasn’t weakness; it was calculated, and their response has forced the US to weigh catastrophic blowback against Israel’s provocations.
Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump introduced himself as an anti-war candidate who would end Washington’s forever wars against other countries. Looking back at his presidency and the war with Iran, how much did he remain loyal to his promises?
Trump campaigned as the anti-war messiah—vowing to end “forever wars,” end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours, and put America first. By the time his presidency led us into war with Iran, he had betrayed those promises entirely. Instead of peace, we got escalation: strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in June 2025, deploying thousands of US troops to Gaza under a fragile ceasefire that still saw Palestinian deaths, capturing Venezuela’s Maduro in a “war on cartels” that killed hundreds and imposed naval embargoes, and ultimately the armada buildup that led to war with Iran. He promised to wind down Ukraine but imposed sanctions on Russian oil firms while talks dragged on. This wasn’t ending wars; it was starting new ones, averaging “one a month” by his own boast, while costing taxpayers billions. Trump showed his true colors as a warmonger-in-chief, sponsoring Israel’s actions and using military coercion for hemispheric dominance. He promised peace but delivered adventurism, undermining US credibility and fueling global instability—and the war with Iran was the final, catastrophic proof.
