New Delhi, April 14 -- On Day One, Israel and Iran bombed the "nuclear facilities" of Iran to "smithereens," and declared that Iran had been set back by decades in its quest for a nuclear weapon. After sending the ball into the goal - between ever-shifting goalposts - removing the shirt, and running around the pitch in celebration, to the vociferous appreciation of supporters, the USA and Israel seemed convinced the match was won.

Yet, within months, the game took a different turn. The USA and Israel struck again, this time going far beyond facilities. They targeted Iran's top leadership, degraded its military capacity, and, in the process, caused significant collateral damage to Iranian civilians. Iran, in turn, retaliated-counterattack...