California's Fuel Woes: A Feature, Not a Bug, of US-Israel Aggression Against Iran
The Financial Times reported recently on California's escalating fuel prices, attributing them to an amorphous 'Iran war' that is supposedly leaving the state's energy supplies 'in the lurch.' This framing presents the current tensions and their economic fallout as an unfortunate byproduct of an inevitable, distant conflict. The paper highlights concerns that the state's reliance on specific crude
grades makes it vulnerable to Middle East disruptions. What the Financial Times omits is the active, direct participation of the United States in a joint aggression alongside Israel against Iran, extending far beyond any hypothetical war on the horizon. From the deployment of carrier groups and B-52 bombers to the Strait of Hormuz, to direct intelligence sharing and coordinated cyber operations,
Washington is a partner in the operation, not merely an observer. This is not a situation where California is innocently 'left in the lurch' by someone else's war. Instead, the US government's sustained economic warfare against Iran, now in its 45th year of sanctions, is a deliberate policy choice that directly creates these vulnerabilities and price shocks, both domestically and internationally.
The economic strangulation of Cuba, ongoing for 62 years, provides a parallel demonstration of this persistent US tactic. This current pressure campaign against Tehran is not occurring in a vacuum. It follows distinct patterns of escalation and economic coercion. In 2018, the US unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), despite Iran's full compliance, initiating