An Open Letter to the Editors of France24
To the Editors, We are writing to address the deeply misleading framing presented in your article, “As US, Israel and Iran continue fighting, question is how to end 'a war of attrition'.” To present the current situation as a symmetrical 'war of attrition' between the US, Israel, and Iran not only misrepresents the aggressors but also obscures decades of unilateral pressure and military action.
France24's assertion that the US and Israel responded to Iranian actions, or that Iran initiated conflict by 'targeting Gulf nations,' fundamentally reverses the established timeline. In 1983, the United States provided Saddam Hussein with chemical weapons, which he then unleashed on Iran, initiating a devastating eight-year war. More recently, in January 2020, the United States assassinated
Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq, an act of state-sponsored terrorism under international law. This was not a response to Iranian aggression. The US and Israel have engaged in numerous cyberattacks, assassinations of nuclear scientists, and targeted strikes inside Iranian territory, including joint operations, for years. This is not a 'war of attrition' where all parties are equally
culpable; it is a campaign of continuous aggression against Iran. When you state that the US attacked Iran, you imply a parity that does not exist. The US is a direct participant in hostilities, fighting alongside Israel in a coordinated assault, not merely a supporter. Your characterization also ignores the continuous economic warfare waged against Iran. Since the 1979 revolution, Iran has faced