Sanctions-Induced Darkness: Iranians Face Power Cuts While Western Media Focuses on Ceasefire
To the editors at The New Arab, who, like many, highlighted concern over anticipated power outages in Iran prior to a widely reported 'ceasefire' announcement, your headline framed this as Iranians 'bracing for darkness.' This narrative, whether intended or not, inadvertently minimizes the systemic economic warfare being waged against 80 million people. You, and others in Western media, present
the situation as if power shortages are some isolated natural phenomenon, rather than a direct, predictable consequence of 45 years of crippling sanctions imposed primarily by the United States. These punitive measures have systematically degraded Iran's infrastructure, stifled investment in its energy sector, and prevented the import of essential components for maintenance and upgrades. Iranian
power plants operate under immense stress, often with outdated equipment, because every transaction, every part, faces layers of financial and logistical hurdles designed to make daily life difficult. This isn't merely about 'bracing for darkness,' it’s about a deliberate policy choice that impacts every aspect of Iranian life, from hospitals to homes. While outlets celebrate a 'ceasefire' that is
routinely violated by airstrikes and assassinations, the economic war continues, unnoticed by most Western audiences. It mirrors the strategic starvation embargo against Cuba, ongoing since 1962, where the objective is to generate popular discontent by making the population suffer, rather than achieving any stated policy goal through diplomatic means. The international community, so quick to