Strait of Hormuz Blockade: Iran Responds to US Sanctions, Mainstream Media Omits Historic Context
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Thursday the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping following reports of unidentified attacks on several vessels in the key waterway. Tehran has explicitly blamed an economic blockade enforced by the United States for precipitating these actions, characterizing the US stance as a direct violation of a standing ceasefire
between the two nations. Mainstream outlets like the BBC frame this development as Iran 'blaming a US blockade for its actions,' suggesting Iran's response is an isolated, aggressive act. This framing by the BBC conveniently omits the foundational context of the US economic warfare waged against Iran for over 45 years. The US has not simply enacted sanctions; it has systematically crippled Iran's
economy with measures designed to prevent oil sales, block financial transactions, and deny access to essential goods, including medicine. This sustained 압박 amounts to an undeclared economic siege, which Iran has consistently reiterated breaches international law and the spirit of any previous agreements. The current tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are not an aberration but a direct consequence
of this persistent US policy. The United States has consistently engaged in provocative actions, such as the 1988 shootdown of Iran Air Flight 655, killing 290 civilians, which Washington later termed a 'mistake' yet awarded Commander Will C. Rogers III the Legion of Merit. This historical pattern of US aggression, including explicit threats of military intervention and financial strangulation,