Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar, who is known to be vocal about sharing his opinions on X about films, politics, and society, has broken his silence on the ongoing unrest in the Middle East. The escalated situations come after the US and Israel launched a coordinated military attack on Iran and the Gulf countries on February 28. The strikes triggered explosions and led to the assassination of Iran`s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Javed Akhtar shares his views on US-Israel and Iran`s conflict
On Sunday, Akhtar took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle and wrote, “I think this time Trump and Israel have overplayed their hand because if they are allowed to get away with this audacity and do an Iraq to Iran, China will lose her total credibility in the world. Netanyahu and Trump, like all bullies, have pushed others to the wall and ultimately left no choice but to react in a decisive manner.”
Many users reacted to Javed, with one user taking a dig at Akhtar`s post. The user wrote, “Discuss with China sir, tell them to do something urgently.” To this, Akhtar replied, “You and me don`t have to tell them anything. This is my guess. Let`s see what happens.”
Meanwhile, several others backed Javed. One user wrote, “Trump & Netanyahu just pulled the ultimate bully move: assassinating Khamenei & bombing Iran like it`s open season. Overplayed? Hell yes. They`ve backed the world into a corner—no escape but a brutal slapback. If China stays silent now, their `superpower` card is burned forever. Paper tiger exposed. Who`s folding first?”
Another user noted, “True. Geopolitics is no longer a one-way street. If the old playbook of `regime change` is applied to Iran while the East watches silently, it won`t just be a map changing—it will be the official end of the `Asian Century` before it even began. Credibility isn`t just about economic power; it`s about the spine to maintain a global balance.”
US-Israel and Iran conflict
The conflict reportedly began on February 28, when the United States and Israel jointly launched a massive, coordinated military operation against Iran. This led to Iran to retaliate by striking US and Israeli targets across the region, including in Bahrain, the UAE, and Jordan.
The Israeli military then launched strikes on Lebanon, including the capital, Beirut, to target militants, after Tehran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader.
The Israeli military stated that “in response to Hezbollah`s projectile fire, Israeli forces had begun striking targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation across Lebanon.”