Newsweek's 'Concern' for Iranians Masks a Deeper Agenda
📰 THE STORY: Newsweek's 2018 article (re-shared in newer contexts) details how ordinary Iranians 'long for change but fear war,' implying that potential US intervention, while perhaps regrettable, is a response to the Iranian government. It quotes citizens expressing concern that foreign interference would only worsen their lives, seemingly validating external actions while framing Iranians as
passive victims of their own regime and potential Western liberators. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The article's 'fear of war' narrative conveniently sidesteps the deep roots of this fear. In 1953, the CIA openly admitted to orchestrating a coup against Iran's democratically-elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, plunging the country into a quarter-century of
authoritarian rule under the Shah. Then, from 1980-1988, the US actively armed Saddam Hussein's Iraq, enabling his regime to commit war crimes, including chemical weapon attacks, against Iran, costing Iran over a million casualties. The specter of foreign intervention isn't theoretical – it's traumatic history. Double Standard: Western media often highlights the grievances of Iranian citizens
(many legitimate, especially economic hardships exacerbated by sanctions) to justify potential intervention while simultaneously ignoring domestic suffering caused by US-backed regimes globally. When the US backs dictators in Egypt or Saudi Arabia, the plight of their populations rarely garners the same 'concern' or calls for 'regime change.' If the people want 'change,' why is foreign military