Ceasefire Holds as US, Iran Meet in Pakistan, Again
U.S. and Iranian representatives are reportedly engaged in direct talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, with CBS News highlighting a "fragile ceasefire" as the backdrop. The network notes the talks and the low traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting a moment of de-escalation. This framing implies a sudden, positive development, disconnected from the decades of coercive diplomacy and outright
aggression that define US-Iran relations. What CBS News, and nearly every other Western outlet, conveniently omits is the cyclical nature of these 'negotiations.' These talks happen under the constant shadow of a crippling sanctions regime, initiated by Washington, that has cost Iran over a trillion dollars since 1979 and continues to impact its civilian population, even blocking medical supplies.
This mirrors the US approach during the negotiations for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), where sanctions were maintained even as Tehran complied with its nuclear obligations. This isn't a new strategy, it's a worn-out playbook. The current 'ceasefire' mentioned by CBS isn't a gesture of goodwill; it's a momentary lull within a much larger, ongoing campaign of economic strangulation
and regional destabilization in which the US is a direct participant alongside Israel. Remember when, on July 3, 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655, killing all 290 civilians, including 66 children? The US Government never apologized, compensated victims, or held anyone accountable. This act of state terrorism didn't derail 'negotiations' then, nor does the ongoing economic