Sachs, a longtime critic of U.S. foreign policy, described the recent escalation as the continuation of a decades-old strategy he linked to Israeli and U.S. intelligence objectives dating back to 1996.
"This is a long-term plan. This is a Mossad CIA plan for American control of the Middle East and Israeli military hegemony in the Middle East that has been underway since 1996," Sachs said. "This is madness. This is murderous delusion."
The professor pointed to a series of U.S.-backed or U.S.-involved conflicts across the region, from Libya and Sudan to Somalia and the ongoing crisis in Gaza, as evidence of a consistent pattern aimed ultimately at confronting Iran.
"It has involved wars across the Middle East. It has left rivers of blood from Libya to Sudan, Somalia, the genocide in Gaza," he said, adding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's goal since the mid-1990s has been "the destruction of Iran."
Comment: 40 years in the making: Statement by PM Netanyahu - 1 March 2026
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the roof of the Kirya in Tel Aviv, today (Sunday, 1 March 2026) [translated from Hebrew]:
"I have just finished a meeting with the Minister of Defense, the IDF Chief of Staff, and the Director of the Mossad. I have given instructions for the continuation of the campaign. Yesterday, we eliminated the tyrant Khamenei. Along with him, we eliminated dozens of senior figures of the oppressive regime. Our forces are now striking at the heart of Tehran with increasing intensity, and this will only continue to escalate further over the coming days.
And yet, these are painful days. Yesterday here, in Tel Aviv, and now in Beit Shemesh, we lost dear people. My heart goes out to the families, and on behalf of all of you, citizens of Israel, I send my wishes for a speedy recovery to the wounded.
We are in a campaign in which we are bringing the full strength of the IDF to the battle, as never before, in order to ensure our existence and our future. But we are also bringing to this campaign the assistance of the United States, my friend, US President Donald Trump, and the US military. This coalition of forces allows us to do what I have yearned to do for 40 years: smite the terror regime hip and thigh. This is what I promised - and this is what we shall do."
Sachs reserved some of his strongest language for Trump, whom he said reversed course on key foreign-policy pledges after taking office.
"Trump... is an utter disgrace to our nation. Utter disgrace. He lied to us. Every word about America first... And he did exactly the opposite of what he said," Sachs stated.
The economist also criticized Washington's approach to diplomacy more broadly, arguing that the United States has abandoned genuine negotiation in favor of coercive tactics.
"The United States does not negotiate. It cheats... Now they kill you because if you negotiate, it means you're weak," he said.
On the domestic front, Sachs connected the country's infrastructure challenges to the enormous costs of overseas military engagements.
"Why do the roads not work and the bridges not work in the United States?... It's because we spend trillions of dollars in war," he said. "China just completed its 50,000th kilometer of fast rail because China doesn't go to war."
Sachs concluded by expressing deep skepticism about the current state of American governance.
"We're in the hands of gangsters. We're not in the hands of a constitutional system," he said, noting that only a handful of lawmakers - citing Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) as one example - have pushed back.
Comment: For more analysis see: