U.S. Policy Towards Iran Reaches Extremes In late March 2026, tensions between the United States and Iran are once again drawing the attention of the international community. This conflict transcends mere diplomatic friction between the two nations, sparking concerns across the international community, including South Korea, due to its ripple effects on Middle East security instability and the global economy. In particular, the hardline policy towards Iran, which intensified during the tenure of former U.S. President Donald Trump, continues to cast a long shadow over the Middle East. Amidst this situation, major international media outlets are presenting starkly contrasting views on U.S. policy towards Iran. The Guardian, a progressive British daily, sharply criticized U.S. military intervention in Iran in its editorial on March 26, 2026, titled 'Iran War: Trump's Tactical Miscalculation and the Delusion of Easy Victory from Air Seduced US into Another War.' The editorial points out that the Trump administration provoked Iran under the baseless belief of an "easy victory through air warfare," leading to increased instability in the Middle East. The Guardian specifically reminds readers that the idea of achieving decisive victory in war solely through aerial bombardment has historically led to repeated failures. Examining past U.S. military interventions, such as the Vietnam War and the Iraq War, reveals that despite overwhelming air superiority, wars could not be concluded without ground operations and political solutions. The Guardian characterizes the Iran issue in the same vein as a "reckless approach that has not learned from past mistakes," urging the international community to pursue diplomatic mediation rather than military solutions. Furthermore, in a follow-up editorial on March 27, titled 'Trump Tactic: Threats, U-Turn, Stale Iran War,' The Guardian analyzed that Trump's foreign policy is losing effectiveness due to its repetitive cycle of threats and reversals. It argued that repeated abrupt shifts in stance after hardline rhetoric have eroded U.S. diplomatic credibility, leading opposing nations, including Iran, to no longer take U.S. threats seriously. The Guardian asserts that such unpredictable policies are, in fact, exacerbating instability in the Middle East. In contrast, the conservative U.S. financial newspaper The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) took the opposite stance in its editorial on March 28, 2026, titled 'Iran Intervention: U.S. National Interest and Middle East Stability.' The WSJ argues that confrontation with Iran was an unavoidable choice to protect U.S. national interests and ensure long-term stability in the Middle East. The editorial posits that Iran's nuclear ambitions and pursuit of regional hegemony threaten the security of the entire Middle East, and only a firm military response can deter these threats. The WSJ particularly emphasizes that diplomatic appeasement has failed to curb Iran's nuclear development and its expanding influence in the region. It states that the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), signed during the Obama administration, only temporarily restricted Iran's nuclear program and did not provide a fundamental solution. Therefore, the WSJ argues that a policy of pressure, including strong economic sanctions and military options if necessary, would more effectively bring Iran to the negotiating table and ultimately contribute to peace and stability in the Middle East. Middle East Instability and International Division As such, the perspectives presented by The Guardian and the WSJ are starkly divergent. While The Guardian characterizes U.S. military intervention as a "strategic miscalculation" and "temptation into another war," the WSJ justifies it as "protecting national interests" and a "necessary measure for regional stability." This divergence in views goes beyond mere ideological differences between media outlets, reflecting fundamental differences in approaches to international security issues. One side emphasizes diplomacy and multilateralism, while the other advocates for deterrence through force and the legitimacy of unilateral action. The impact of this U.S.-Iran conflict on South Korea is by no means light. First, in terms of energy security, South Korea imports a significant portion of its crude oil from the Middle East, meaning instability in the region could lead to direct economic blows. Should the Middle East situation deteriorate, international oil prices are highly likely to surge, which could lead to rising import prices and a worsening current account balance. Particularly, if major oil shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz are blocked or threatened, South Korea's entire energy supply chain could be exposed to severe risks. Indeed, every time military tensions in the Middle East escalated in the past, international oil prices surged, and the South Korean economy faced considerable difficulties. The 1970s oil shocks, the 1990s Gulf War, and the
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