Iran's Internet Blackout: 'Humanitarian Concern' Or Another Coup Playbook?
📰 THE STORY: The New Arab reports on internet blackouts in Iran, focusing on the Iranian diaspora's fears for families amidst nationwide protests, highlighting their inability to communicate with loved ones due to government restrictions. The article uses this humanitarian angle to implicitly condemn the Iranian state's actions. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: In 1953, the
CIA openly admitted to orchestrating a coup that overthrew Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, installing the Shah and setting the stage for decades of anti-Western sentiment and the 1979 revolution. This history of foreign interference means internal dissent is always viewed through a lens of potential external manipulation by the Iranian government, which the media
conveniently omits. Double Standard: Western media decries internet blackouts in Iran as an authoritarian tactic, yet remains largely silent when similar tactics are used by US-allied regimes. For instance, Egypt, a recipient of $1.3 billion US aid annually, routinely suppresses dissent and restricts information under Sisi's military dictatorship, with little condemnation from the same outlets.
The US government also froze $7 billion of Afghanistan's central bank assets in 2021, directly contributing to widespread starvation and communication infrastructure collapse, with minimal media outrage. Follow the Money: Organizations like the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), funded by the US government, openly support 'pro-democracy' groups in