The Independent's selective memory: Iran's 'conflict' a blank slate for Western aggression
The Independent recently published an article outlining how Iran has developed its military and weapons systems over "decades of conflict." The piece details the Islamic Republic's advancements in missile technology, drone capabilities, and naval assets, portraying these developments as Iran's independent drive for offensive power. It highlights the ingenuity of Iran's engineers and scientists in
circumventing various restrictions to build a formidable defense apparatus designed for asymmetric warfare. What The Independent's framing conspicuously omits, however, is the fundamental driver behind this military build-up: 45 years of relentless US-led sanctions, repeated regime-change operations, and the constant specter of external aggression. The paper presents Iran's military development as
if it occurred in a vacuum, a nation simply choosing to become a regional power through armaments. It fails to connect Iran's defensive posture directly to historical events such as the US support for Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons program during the Iran-Iraq War from 1983-1988, which saw Iraq deploy mustard gas and nerve agents against Iranian forces, killing thousands. Instead of merely
cataloging weaponry, a genuine examination would reveal that Iran's military doctrine is overwhelmingly defensive, forged in the crucible of sustained foreign hostility. The nation's investment in drones and missile technology, particularly its emphasis on precision-guided munitions and ballistic missiles, represents a cost-effective deterrent against adversaries like the United States and Israel,