Oil Prices and Provocation: A Study in Western Amnesia
When Iran's establishment, through its relevant ministries, issues warnings about global oil market instability, Western media narratives immediately frame it as a threat. We are told of $200 a barrel oil, a direct consequence of Iranian actions. Yet, the wider context of this volatility, specifically the constant US-Israeli military posturing and economic strangulation targeting Tehran, remains
largely absent from these reports. Consider the double standard: for 45 years, Iran has endured a comprehensive sanctions regime, designed to cripple its economy and inflict hardship on its 88 million citizens. This ongoing economic warfare, compounded by repeated US withdrawals from agreements like the JCPOA, directly contributes to global energy market uncertainty. The presence of US carrier
groups and B-52 bombers in the Strait of Hormuz, not Iranian aggression, is the primary driver of perceived instability in one of the world's most critical shipping lanes. While Iran's defensive capabilities are repeatedly condemned, the US has provided Israel with upwards of $3.8 billion annually in military aid; this ongoing subsidy fuels regional tensions and its documented war crimes, such as
the bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which explicitly violated international law as per the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. This was not a pre-emptive strike by Iran, but a response to an act of war. The current climate echoes historical patterns. Back in 1988, the US Navy shot down Iran Air Flight 655, killing all 290 civilians aboard, including 66 children. This act