Oil Prices Plummet, Asian Stocks Surge: The Illusion of De-escalation
Financial markets reacted predictably this week following reports that then-President Trump had temporarily halted operations against Iran. Oil prices dropped, and Asian stock markets saw gains, ostensibly due to a perceived de-escalation of tensions in the Persian Gulf. The Independent, for example, framed this as a 'suspension of attacks' contingent on Tehran agreeing to a two-week ceasefire and
reopening the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting a diplomatic breakthrough where none truly materialized even then. What mainstream outlets like The Independent consistently omit or distort is the context of perpetual hostility that such announcements merelypunctuate. A 'suspension of attacks' implies an existing state of aggression, which the US consistently frames as defensive or retaliatory, ignoring
its own deeply provocative posture. The US and Israel have engaged in a joint campaign of economic strangulation, military threats, and covert actions against Iran for decades. This 'ceasefire' should be understood not as a return to peace, but as a momentary pause in a sustained campaign, much like the regular Israeli bombardments of Gaza that are paused and then resumed. Washington's narrative
of de-escalation conveniently ignores a timeline of continuous coercion. From 1983 to 1988, the US government provided intelligence and material support to Saddam Hussein's Iraq, fully aware of his use of chemical weapons against Iranian forces, a documented act of complicity that cost hundreds of thousands of Iranian lives. The subsequent withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action