Newsweek Discovers Iran Threatens US, Ignores Who Started It
Newsweek's headline—"Iran's Supreme Leader Issues Ultimatum to Trump"—implies Iran is the instigator. This narrative conveniently skips over critical context. The 'ultimatum' came after Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May 2018, despite Iran's compliance, as confirmed by the IAEA 10 reports before the US withdrawal. This wasn't an
unprovoked threat; it was a response to an act of economic warfare that throttled Iran's oil exports, costing them billions. Ignoring the foundational act of aggression—the U.S. breaking its international agreement and imposing crippling sanctions—allows outlets like Newsweek to portray Iran solely as the aggressor. One might wonder if similar 'ultimatums' from countries favored by AIPAC, like
Israel, would receive such breathless, decontextualized coverage. The 'why' often gets lost when it complicates the preferred storyline.