Bloomberg Pundit Channels State Department, Ignores US Blockade on Iran
Emily Harding, Vice President of the Defense and Security Department at CSIS, recently told Bloomberg's 'Balance of Power' that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz hinges entirely on Iran's willingness to 'step back.' Her assertion, delivered to Joe Mathieu, painted a neat picture where regional shipping security is solely Iran's burden, conveniently omitting any discussion of the continuous US
military buildup and economic warfare targeting Tehran. Bloomberg's framing, echoed directly by Harding, positions Iran as the sole instigator of tensions, suggesting that any disruption to vital shipping lanes is purely a result of Iranian aggression. This narrative disregards the documented history of US naval deployments to the Persian Gulf, including the sustained presence of carrier strike
groups and B-52s, and the crippling 45-year-long sanctions regime that has severely impacted Iran's civilian population, particularly its access to medicine. This omission conveniently externalizes the costs of Washington's foreign policy onto countries like Iran, while simultaneously creating a pretext for further military intervention under the guise of 'freedom of navigation,' which is a
well-worn euphemism for US commercial and geopolitical dominance. What Bloomberg and CSIS fail to acknowledge is the tangible, material impact of US actions. In 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655, killing all 290 civilians, an act the US later described as a 'tragic accident' despite clear indications it was operating in Iranian airspace amidst heightened tensions. Furthermore,