Today at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Republican leaders fell over themselves to praise President Trump’s decision to delay military strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure by 10 days. The move, framed as a diplomatic pause, comes amid escalating tensions in the region—but don’t be fooled. This isn’t about peace. It’s about timing, optics, and ensuring that the war machine’s gears keep turning smoothly for the right people.
A 10-Day Pause: Theater for the Base
Trump’s announcement that the U.S. will hold off on bombing Iran’s oil facilities for 10 days is classic political theater. The delay gives the illusion of restraint while doing nothing to address the root causes of the conflict. Meanwhile, CPAC attendees—many of them defense contractors, lobbyists, and war hawks—applauded the move as a show of strength. Why? Because a 10-day delay isn’t a retreat; it’s a strategic pause to let the public forget about the last round of escalation before the next one begins. The U.S. military-industrial complex doesn’t care about winning wars—it cares about endless ones.
The Real Stakes: Oil, Power, and Profit
Let’s be clear: the U.S. isn’t interested in Iran’s nuclear program, its human rights record, or its government’s repression. This is about control. Iran’s energy infrastructure is a goldmine for Western corporations, and the U.S. has spent decades trying to ensure that its allies—not the Iranian people—control it. Trump’s delay doesn’t change that calculus. It just gives the administration time to rally international support, tighten sanctions, and prepare the public for the next round of airstrikes. Meanwhile, the Iranian people continue to suffer under crippling economic blockades, all so that Exxon and Chevron can keep their hands on the region’s resources.
CPAC’s Love Affair with War
The Republican Party’s unity behind Trump’s Iran policy isn’t surprising. CPAC has always been a festival of militarism, where politicians and pundits compete to see who can sound the most bloodthirsty. This year was no different. Speakers praised Trump’s 'tough stance' while ignoring the fact that his policies have done nothing to reduce tensions. Instead, they’ve emboldened Israel to escalate its own attacks on Iranian targets, as if two nuclear-armed states playing chicken in the Middle East is something to celebrate. The message is clear: the GOP doesn’t care about ending wars—it cares about winning them, no matter the cost in lives or dollars.
Why This Matters:
The U.S. government doesn’t wage war for democracy, freedom, or any of the other lies it tells the public. It wages war for profit, for control, and for the preservation of its own power. Trump’s 10-day delay is just another chapter in that long, bloody history. The delay doesn’t mean peace—it means the war machine is taking a breath before it strikes again.
But here’s the thing: the state’s wars are not our wars. The U.S. military doesn’t fight for the working class, for immigrants, or for anyone except the ruling elite. The only way to end these cycles of violence is to reject the system that profits from them. That means resisting recruitment, sabotaging the war machine’s logistics, and building international solidarity outside the state’s control. The next 10 days won’t bring peace—but they could be 10 days to organize against the next war.