US-Iran Tensions: A History Rewatch
📰 THE STORY: Al Jazeera's report, 'Iran-US tensions soar: What do both sides want?', attempts a balanced view of the escalating conflict, pointing to Iran's nuclear program and regional influence versus US sanctions and military presence. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: In 1953, the CIA, with British intelligence, orchestrated a coup d'état that overthrew Iran's
democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, installing the Shah, a US-friendly dictator. This pivotal event, detailed in numerous declassified documents, directly seeded Iranian distrust of Western intentions. Fast forward to 1980-88, the US, under Reagan, armed and supported Saddam Hussein's Iraq during its war with Iran, providing intelligence and chemical weapons components,
leading to an estimated one million Iranian casualties. This fundamental history of foreign-imposed regime change and support for deadly aggression is consistently omitted from 'both sides' reporting. Double Standard: The narrative around Iran's nuclear program is presented as an existential threat, often echoing Israeli government rhetoric. Yet, Israel, an undeclared nuclear power with an
estimated 80-400 warheads (according to FAS), faces no international sanctions or calls for inspection from the same global bodies or media outlets. The 'concerns' over Iranian influence in the region are framed as destabilizing, while the US's vast military footprint across the Middle East, including funding and supplying weapons to Saudi Arabia for its war in Yemen, is treated as a given, benign