Eye For Eye

Blood feuds are long-lasting wars between nations. They are driven by a cycle of retaliatory killings to avenge honor or previous deaths. 

Is Netanyahu and Trump’s war on Iran a blood feud? An eye for an eye?

If yes, is it because America’s CIA and Great Britain’s MI5 overthrew Iran's elected government in 1953? And appointed their king to rule over Iran?

Historians use the term "blood feud" metaphorically to describe the intense, multi-generational animosity between America and Iran.

Others call the Iranian-American blood feud a “geopolitical rivalry”. Softer, less meaningful words do and don’t matter much when it comes to coups, wars and deaths.

In 1953, America and Great Britain launched Operation Ajax (OA).

OA was a coup d'état.

OA overthrew the democratically elected Iranian government and its leader, Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.

In Prime Minister Mosaddegh’s place, America and Great Britain appointed a new king, the Shah of Iran. His name was Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

1953 is remembered and viewed by Iranians as the moment their democratic aspirations were sacrificed for America and Great Britain’s capitalist oil interests.

Twenty-six years later in 1979, Iranians -- who suffered greatly under authoritarian rule of the Shah, America and Great Britain -- launched a revolution.

Revolutionaries overthrew the Shah. They blamed the CIA and MI5 for appointing the Shah. They blamed America and Great Britain for the untold sufferings and deaths of thousands.

Revolutionaries captured people who worked at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979.

These hostages were held for 444 days until they were released in January 1981.

While 66 individual hostages were initially seized, 14 women, African Americans, and other nationalities were released early.

For Iran, 1953 is the starting point of a blood feud with America.

For America, 1979 is the starting point of a blood feud with Iran.

In ancient biblical references, the principle of blood feud is coupled with “eye for an eye”. It is known as lex talionis, the law of retaliation.

Lex talionis appears in Exodus 21:23–25, Leviticus 24:19–20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. 

Lex talionis was designed by religious authorities to ensure proportional punishment. It limited vengeance. It served as a standard for judges.

Lex talionis is not a license for Netanyahu and Trump’s personal revenge against Iran.