Religious fervor is pushing the world to the brink—and the TPNW is our red line
Iran’s squares are once again filling with crowds. But this time, they are not protesting against the ruthless regime that has brutally repressed its own population; they are taking to the streets to support the government in the face of the military offensive by the United States and Israel.
What we are witnessing is neither a surgical operation nor a rational strategy. There are no clear objectives —at least not publicly. It is a war with no plan, no horizon, and no brakes. In Washington, the justifications change like a daily special: “regime change,” “preventive strike,” “neutralizing a nuclear threat.” Diplomacy —the tool that keeps the world from burning— has been replaced by impulses, maximalism, and a dangerous blend of ideology and faith. It’s no longer one week, but eight. The timeline keeps expanding, and no one speaks about “the day after.”
Adding to this strategic disorientation is an unsettling ideological engine: religious fanaticism framing the conflict as a “holy war.” When everyone believes they have a divine mandate and the “other” is the embodiment of evil, there is no room for restraint.
In the United States, influential Evangelical sectors have spent decades promoting a theological vision in which Israel is the stage for the “end times.” For these groups, military support for Israel is not a strategic decision —it is a religious obligation. This worldview has shaped speeches, votes, and foreign policy decisions. There have even been reports of high‑ranking military officials interpreting bombings through the Book of Revelation, as steps toward Armageddon and the return of Jesus Christ. In this narrative, Iran ceases to be a state with interests and contradictions; it becomes an apocalyptic enemy.
In Israel, the government has intensified the use of biblical references to justify the offensive. Netanyahu has compared Iran to the Amalekites, an ancestral enemy described as the embodiment of evil, turning this conflict into an existential struggle. Moreover, part of the governing coalition is composed of ultranationalist and religious parties that see the war as an opportunity to reaffirm a project based on territorial expansion and ethno‑religious identity. In this context, moderation is weakness.
In Iran, the assassination of the Supreme Leader has activated a deeply rooted Shiite imaginary centered on martyrdom. Instead of weakening the repressive regime, it has mobilized millions to defend it without fear of death —a response many frame as a “defensive jihad.”
And in the middle of all this… nuclear weapons
This is where the conflict becomes truly dangerous.
Two nuclear‑armed countries are attacking one that does not possess such weapons. The reckless bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities shows a disturbing disregard for the possibility of a radiological disaster. If the conflict draws in other nuclear‑armed states, the crisis could escalate into a genuine “nuclear Armageddon.”
The architecture of international law —designed precisely to prevent scenarios like this— is being ignored. The “law of the jungle” is becoming normalized. And when the jungle rules, nuclear weapons become the final word.
We need to stop this spiral
Amid this growing anarchy, Spain has emerged as the only Western government openly condemning the war against Iran. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has denied the United States access to joint military bases, arguing that “you cannot respond to one illegality with another.” While Spain rejects the Iranian regime’s repression, it also rejects the path of bombs and demands an immediate ceasefire. This is not about choosing sides in a clash of fanaticisms, but about defending international law and peaceful resolution.
The TPNW is our red line
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is not a moral luxury. It is an urgent necessity.
The TPNW:
declares the most destructive weapons ever created illegitimate
pressures nuclear‑armed states
provides a framework for dismantling arsenals
breaks with the suicidal logic of deterrence
It is not symbolic. It is a real way out of the dead end created by fanaticism, religious nationalism, and runaway geopolitics.
History is not written. Preventing a nuclear disaster requires action, public pressure, real diplomacy, and a global commitment to the TPNW. There is still time.
