Sweeney argues Britain and the U.S. use Israel as a proxy force for colonial expansion and resource extraction in West Asia, providing the weapons that enable its campaigns.
He states Britain has banned criticism of Israel, designating Palestine Action a terrorist group and arresting supporters, creating a dystopian climate where dissent is labeled anti-Semitic.
Zakaria sees parallels between US focus on Middle Eastern wars and late British imperial overstretch, where controlling peripheral territories drained focus from core economic competitiveness.
China emerged as a relative safe haven during the Iran war, with its 30-year bond yield remaining stable while yields in energy-short countries like the UK and Japan rose.
European responses to the Iran war range from Spain's outright opposition and denial of U.S. access to Britain's efforts to soothe relations and plan for post-war Strait of Hormuz reopening, with France seeking autonomous leadership and Britain preferring U.S. partnership.
The UK refused to allow use of its bases for strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, and Gulf financing for Western projects is being reconsidered due to infrastructure damage.