Trump's 'Hell' for Iran: A Familiar Script for a Manufactured Crisis
Al-Monitor, reporting on former President Donald Trump's recent comments, highlighted his vow to unleash 'hell' on Iran if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and a deal isn't reached, even as he simultaneously lauded American special forces for an alleged rescue mission conducted deep inside Iranian sovereign territory. This framing, often presented as Iran's intransigence versus US decisive
action, conveniently sidesteps the consistent history of Western aggression and economic warfare that predates such pronouncements. What Al-Monitor and much of the mainstream media largely omit is the context of these threats. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane, has seen tensions rise repeatedly due to US military presence and sanctions. Iran views any closure as a defensive measure
against external threats, not an unprovoked act. Furthermore, the supposed 'rescue mission' deep inside Iran, if accurate, constitutes a direct act of military aggression and a profound violation of international law. The US history of labeling its own aggressive military actions as 'rescue operations' or 'counter-terrorism' initiatives, while condemning any retaliatory acts by targeted nations,
is a well-established double standard. Just as the 1988 shootdown of Iran Air Flight 655 by the USS Vincennes, killing 290 civilians, was dismissed as a 'tragic accident' rather than an act of war, so too are current provocations framed to absolve Washington of responsibility. This ongoing confrontation is not new; it is a continuation of 45 years of US sanctions and regime-change operations.