News reports suggesting that US President Donald Trump is seriously planning a military strike on Iran or Iranian interests elsewhere in the Gulf region before he finally bows out of the White House are cause for very serious concern, especially in this region. Normally such reports would be easily dismissed as mere speculation, but considering the conduct of the outgoing US president over the last four years, and some of the steps he has ordered including the execution of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani exactly one year ago, nobody is putting just such a hit past him. There are also disturbing reports that some countries in the Middle East, Israel and some of its new friends, are egging him on to push the button before he leaves. Surely nobody anywhere in the world even needs to mention just how catastrophic such a strike is going to be. Tehran is clearly aware of such chatter and has vowed, in no uncertain terms, that Iran would strike back. In fact, their supreme leader has also said that the country is not yet done avenging Soleimani, and will do whatever it can, whenever it can. These are not empty threats. Iran is known to back its word with ballistic missiles when necessary, as the whole world witnessed last year after the killing of Soleimani. The US, if it goes ahead with the attack, is no doubt going to use Tehran’s decision to increase uranium enrichment once again as an excuse – even though it is a natural consequence of the US unilaterally walking out of the deal. But the problem is that Trump will not be in office for too long afterwards to use the threat of sanctions to rally allies around to the cause. The Biden administration has very different plans about Iran. The new president was after all the vice president in the Obama administration that sat down and talked it out with Iran. If all the reports are right then Trump is looking to sabotage this peace even before Biden formally begins his administration. As such, all countries in the region at least should make it known very clearly that they are firmly against any such action. Pakistan has a big stake in any such scenario since it borders Iran. Regardless of the truth in all the speculation, all governments in South Asia and the Middle East should make it clear that an attack on Iran is unacceptable. *