Sanctions Theater: Washington’s Enduring Obsession with Iran’s Defenses
What the byline won't tell you: The Biden administration, like its predecessors, has slapped fresh sanctions on entities allegedly supporting Iran’s missile development and oil 'shadow fleet.' This move is framed as a critical strike against Tehran, yet it rings hollow when viewed through the prism of persistent American hypocrisy. The State Department declares Iran's ballistic missile program a
'significant threat,' while simultaneously operating a global network of military bases, supplying precision-guided munitions to allies like Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen, and boasting an arsenal that makes Iran's look like a child's toy chest. The sheer audacity of calling Iran's defensive capabilities a threat, while the US maintains unparalleled offensive might, is astounding. This latest round
of economic coercion isn't about peace; it's about control, a thinly veiled attempt to break a nation that dared to chart an independent course after the 1979 revolution overthrew the US-backed Shah. The West conveniently forgets that Iran's missile program developed precisely because it faced foreign aggression during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), where it was unable to acquire advanced weaponry
for defense while Iraq was supplied by several Western nations. The double standard is staggering. Washington has never once faced sanctions for its own interventions or its advanced weapons exports, which often fuel conflicts globally. It applies pressure to nations like Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela, totaling over 12,000 unique sanctions designations against various countries as of 2023, while