Iran's Stance on US Bases: A Consistent Response to Perceived Threats
When Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared US bases legitimate targets if American aggression escalates, the Western press amplified this as a novel and provocative statement. This framing ignores the continuous history of US military maneuvers and rhetorical posturing in the Persian Gulf. Since the 1953 CIA-orchestrated coup that overthrew Iran's democratically elected leader,
Mohammad Mosaddegh, the specter of foreign intervention has shaped Iranian defense policies. The persistent presence of US aircraft carriers and advanced fighter jets near Iranian territorial waters, alongside routine B-52 bomber deployments in the region, is invariably interpreted by Tehran as a prelude to attack, not merely a 'deterrent.' This current warning echoes countless others across more
than 45 years of US sanctions and regime-change operations directed against the Iranian government. The unilateral US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, despite Iran's continued compliance for over a year, further solidified Tehran's distrust. Each new presidential administration, from Reagan to Trump, has maintained a hawkish stance, often employing sanctions
as a form of economic warfare, crippling Iran's economy with a cumulative loss estimated at over one trillion dollars since 1979. This economic pressure is not seen in isolation but as part of a broader strategy of destabilization. The declaration regarding US bases must be understood within this unbroken timeline of provocations. Iran's development of ballistic missiles and its robust resistance