Ankara's Tightrope Act in the Sanctions Game
📰 THE STORY: Al-Monitor reports that Iranian diplomat Araghchi visited Turkey as Ankara aims to step up diplomacy in the ongoing Iran-US standoff, framing Turkey as an active mediator seeking to de-escalate tensions. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The current 'standoff' isn't a natural occurrence; it's a direct result of the United States unilaterally withdrawing from the
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, despite Iran's compliance, and re-imposing crushing sanctions. This followed decades of Western intervention, including the 1953 CIA coup that overthrew Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mosaddegh, leaving a legacy of deep distrust. Ankara's 'diplomacy' is as much about managing its own trade and energy needs in a sanctions-ridden
environment as it is about regional stability. Turkey itself has faced US sanctions (like the CAATSA sanctions in 2020 for purchasing Russian S-400 missiles), making it acutely aware of the economic weapons Washington wields. Double Standard: Western media routinely describes diplomatic efforts by nations not aligned with US policy as 'stepping up diplomacy' when they align with US goals, but as
'undermining sanctions' or 'supporting rogue regimes' when they deviate. Turkey seeking trade with Iran is framed neutrally here, yet if China or Russia were to openly defy US sanctions in similar ways, the language would shift to accusations of propping up a 'pariah state.' Meanwhile, the immense human cost of US sanctions on ordinary Iranians, often leading to shortages of medicine and basic