Today, Pakistan announced it will host high-level talks with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt as part of what the establishment press is calling 'Iran-related war diplomacy.' The meeting, shrouded in the usual diplomatic vagueness, is just the latest in a long line of closed-door gatherings where the powerful decide the fates of millions without their consent. No details about the agenda have been released, but if history is any guide, the discussions will revolve around maintaining regional control, protecting oil interests, and ensuring that the working class continues to bear the brunt of imperial ambitions. **The Illusion of Diplomacy** Diplomacy, in the hands of states, is nothing more than a performance—one where the script is written by generals, arms dealers, and corporate elites. Saudi Arabia, a monarchy that beheads dissidents and bombs Yemen into famine, sits at the table with Turkey, a regime that jails journalists and wages war on Kurdish autonomy. Egypt, under military dictatorship, rounds up activists while its people starve. And Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state with a long history of military coups, plays host. These are not peace talks; they are negotiations between jailers about how best to divide the prison. The focus on 'Iran-related conflict' is particularly telling. Iran, like every other state in the region, is a construct of colonial borders and imperial meddling. The real conflict isn’t between nations—it’s between the rulers and the ruled. The Iranian regime oppresses its own people with brutal efficiency, just as the Saudi monarchy does, just as the Turkish state does. The only difference is which flag they fly while doing it. **War Profiteers and the Cost of Empire** While these leaders sip tea and shake hands, the cost of their games is measured in human lives. Yemen remains a graveyard, thanks to Saudi airstrikes fueled by U.S. and British weapons. Syria is a shattered country, carved up by foreign powers and warlords. Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan—all reduced to rubble by the same forces now pretending to seek 'stability.' And let’s not forget the millions displaced, the families torn apart, the futures stolen in the name of 'national security.' The arms industry, the real winner of every conflict, will be watching these talks closely. Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, and Raytheon don’t care which side 'wins'—they profit from the chaos either way. The same governments now posing as peacemakers are the ones signing billion-dollar contracts to keep the killing machine running. **People Over Power** The solution to war isn’t more diplomacy between states—it’s the abolition of the states themselves. The people of the Middle East don’t need another round of backroom deals; they need autonomy, mutual aid, and the freedom to determine their own futures. From Rojava’s experiment in democratic confederalism to the mutual aid networks sustaining communities under siege, alternatives already exist. The problem isn’t a lack of solutions—it’s the fact that the powerful will do anything to crush them. These talks in Pakistan are a distraction. The real work happens in the streets, in the neighborhoods, in the autonomous zones where people are building something new. The rulers will always choose war over justice, profit over people. It’s up to us to reject their games entirely. **Why This Matters:** This meeting is a stark reminder that the state is not a neutral arbiter of peace—it’s a tool of domination. Every time elites gather to discuss 'diplomacy,' they’re not trying to end suffering; they’re trying to manage it, to ensure that their control remains unchallenged. The wars in the Middle East aren’t accidents or misunderstandings; they’re the logical outcome of a system built on hierarchy, exploitation, and violence. For those of us who reject the state entirely, this is a call to action. The people of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and beyond don’t need more negotiations between their oppressors. They need solidarity. They need direct action. They need the tools to dismantle the systems that keep them in chains. The next time you hear about 'peace talks,' ask yourself: peace for who? The answer is never the people—it’s always the powerful. The only peace worth fighting for is one we build ourselves, outside and against the state.
