M Santhananaban
It is troubling that in the middle of the deeply unpopular US–Israel war on Iran, King Charles is still going ahead with his state visit to the United States today.
The visit was planned long ago to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. But the timing feels acutely awkward for much of the rest of the world.
US President Donald Trump should not be accorded the honour of hosting such a visit when he is prosecuting a war that is widely seen as unlawful and unsustainable.
Surely the British have a better sense of diplomacy. Surely they should know that Trump will use the visit to serve his own narrow agenda.
The shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on the eve of the royal visit only added to the chaos. Trump and key administration officials were in attendance and were safely evacuated.
A suspect was apprehended outside the ballroom after firing shots near the security checkpoint. Fortunately, nothing tragic happened.
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But the incident, much like the broader arc of Trump’s presidency, has kept this controversial, warmongering figure at the centre of the news cycle.
The road to war
The brutal prelude to the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran was the Gaza genocide. What happened in Gaza had already isolated both the United States and Israel.
Both Iran and Lebanon have since been subjected to every possible sanction, heavy bombardment and brutal humiliation, now stretching into the ninth week of the aggression.
Yet the resolve of the people of Iran and Lebanon has not been broken.
But the human cost has been staggering. Thousands have been killed, among them children, including at least 85 girls who died when Israeli strikes hit a school in southern Iran.
Trump will be seen in history as a genocidal president. The grief he has caused to the people of Iran, to Palestinians and to the wider West Asia region will not be forgotten or forgiven. He has also caused global disruption and misery, particularly in the developing nations of the Global South.
He must be stopped. Pakistan’s mediation efforts, which brokered a fragile ceasefire in April, have been creditable, but the talks remain stalled and a permanent settlement is nowhere in sight. A more credible and durable alternative is needed.
A record of lawlessness
No one in the mainstream seems to be attempting a proper political obituary of Trump that squarely confronts his record. At this stage of his presidency, he deserves neither an effusive eulogy nor an enthusiastic endorsement of his achievements.
He is the first US president to have single-handedly dismantled hard-won progress on diversity, equity and inclusion policies, polarised American society and created so much disruption, distress and turmoil across the world, especially in the poorer nations of the Global South.
Trump is implicated in the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a joint US-Israeli military attack in February 2026. He is also responsible for the kidnapping of Venezuela’s elected President, Nicolás Maduro, in an unlawful military attack. His predatory designs on Gaza and Greenland are, to say the least, catastrophic.
These represent outrageous violations of international law, and the appropriate authorities must institute proceedings against him.
Justice, not a bullet
Trump is responsible for egregious murder and mayhem. He must be made to face the law. The last thing the world needs is for him to be made into a martyr by an assassin’s bullet.
The rule of law is the only legitimate remedy, not political violence nor the chaos of an assassination.
The world deserves better, and so does the pursuit of justice.
Dato’ M Santhananaban is a former Malaysian ambassador with 45 years of public sector experience.
The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.
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