Open Letter to France 24: On the 'Eerie Still' in Tehran and Omitted Context
To the Editors of France 24, Your recent report from Tehran, describing an “eerie still” and a populace “on edge” ahead of US President Donald Trump’s latest ultimatum, presents a partial truth, one that risks misinforming your audience about the complex realities shaping Iranian perceptions. While an atmosphere of tension certainly exists, framing it as an 'eerie still' without proper
contextualization perpetuates a dangerous narrative that absolves aggressive rhetoric of its historical weight. What your report, and others like it in mainstream outlets, omits is the consistent pattern of US threats and the history of destabilization that has conditioned Iran to expect such ultimatums. For instance, the US has maintained an economic blockade against Cuba for 62 years, a
precedent for sustained coercion. Moreover, Trump’s declared threat that a “whole civilization will die tonight” was not an isolated incident but the culmination of a betrayal of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by the US in 2018, despite Iran’s verified compliance by the International Atomic Energy Agency. This 'stillness' is not born of passivity, but resilience honed over more
than four decades of sanctions and direct military posturing. In 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655, killing 290 civilians, an act the US never formally apologized for. These are not minor historical footnotes but active components of the Iranian collective consciousness, shaping their reaction to perceived threats. The current situation cannot be understood outside this