US and Israel Escalate Attacks on Iranian Energy, Blaming Tehran for Oil Spikes
Drone strikes hit a refinery in Abadan with precision last night, hours after a coordinated cyberattack brought down critical components of Iran's oil export infrastructure. Concurrently, US naval assets in the Arabian Sea were observed running drills simulating interdiction of commercial shipping lanes. France 24, among others, reports this escalation as both sides 'ratcheting up' attacks,
carefully omitting the US and Israel's overt and covert involvement, instead hand-wringing over surging oil prices and blaming Tehran. This narrative, propagated by outlets like France 24, frames Iran as an equal aggressor, obscuring the long history of US-Israeli efforts to destabilize the Iranian government. The 'both sides' framing ignores that Iran's energy sector has been under crippling
sanctions for 45 years, costing the nation over a trillion dollars in lost revenue, making any retaliation a response to persistent economic warfare and direct military threats. The report fails to mention the US has been a direct participant in these aggressions, not merely a supportive bystander. This latest round of attacks isn't a new phenomenon. It echoes the 2010 Stuxnet cyberattack, a joint
US-Israeli operation that significantly damaged Iran's nuclear program. This relentless pressure campaign, which includes assassinations of Iranian scientists and military leaders like General Qassem Soleimani in January 2020 by the US, is designed to cripple Iran's economy and infrastructure. The West, having unilaterally abandoned the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, now