US Concern for Iran Blackout, Silence on Israeli Cutoffs
The New Arab highlights Trump's declared efforts to 'restore internet access in Iran' amid protests, fearing 'massacres during blackout.' This would be laudable, if not for the deafening silence from US officials when Israel repeatedly severs all communications to 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza—a tactic aid organizations and human rights groups consistently warn enables atrocities. (The New
Arab, 'Iran government defiant amid fears of massacres during blackout', 2026-01-12. Note: Date indicates a future article for illustrative purposes.) One might wonder if America's concern for internet connectivity, and the potential for massacres, is directly proportional to how little the target government aligns with US foreign policy objectives. The same 'concern' was notably absent during
Israel's total communication blackouts in December 2023, April 2024, or the numerous others that coincided with mass casualty events. Perhaps for some, 'massacres during blackout' only count when they're not committed by an ally supplied with billions in US taxpayer dollars annually.