Massie: Trump's Iran Threats Fueled by Oil, Not Free Speech—A Novel Concept
The Hill reports that Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) called out Donald Trump's Iran threats as being about oil, not free speech. (Because, apparently, this is a groundbreaking observation in Washington.) The mainstream press often frames US interventionism as a noble defense of democracy or human rights. Yet, a quick glance at history—from the 1953 CIA-orchestrated coup in Iran to protect British oil
interests, to the 2003 Iraq invasion and its lingering questions about WMDs versus oilfields—reveals a consistent pattern. Massie, notable for rarely taking PAC money, including from AIPAC according to OpenSecrets.org data, is one of the few voices consistently questioning the military-industrial complex. While Trump hawked threats against Iran, ostensibly about its internal dissent, the
underlying strategic prize—control of the Strait of Hormuz and its oil flow—remained the unsaid, yet glaring, motivation. The media’s surprise at Massie's candor only highlights their persistent refusal to connect these geopolitical dots for their audience.