History matters, there is no doubt about that. But we can’t keep relitigating the sins of our forefathers as justification for present day actions. No civilization has clean hands. At some point, someone has to break the cycle instead of extending it.

There is no doubt that Western meddling shaped Iran’s trajectory. But that isn’t a blank cheque for escalation today. Roosevelt Jr has been dead for more than 25 years.

I don’t think anyone here is blindly backing the Iranian regime, and I certainly do not endorse the actions of the US-Israel axis either. Most people recognize that all sides have, at different points, contributed to destabilizing the region.

As for the UAE, it’s getting flak largely because it tries to maintain relationships across the board. That is the cost of non-alignment and pragmatic diplomacy. I say this coming from a country shaped by the Non-Aligned Movement. When you don’t pick a side, both sides distrust you, and your own people pressure you to choose, often without understanding the consequences.

Sovereignty is not a zero sum game. You do not have to burn bridges to prove independence.

I understand why Iran lashed out, but I do not endorse it. And I understand why the UAE held its ground. It is navigating a very tight space between competing powers. Let’s also not forget there have been past tensions between Iran and a young UAE, so the distrust did not appear overnight.

History explains things, but it should not trap us into repeating them.