US-Israel Joint Operation Escalates, Oil Markets React
Global oil prices registered a 4% increase on Tuesday, while key stock indices experienced a downturn, following the initiation of a joint US-Israeli military operation targeting strategic sites within Iran. Financial Times, among other outlets, reports a general market 'tumult' but frames the situation as if 'Iran war ignites,' subtly implying Iranian aggression rather than a concerted,
unprovoked assault from Washington and Tel Aviv. This framing by outlets like the Financial Times, which consistently downplays the role of the US as a direct participant, suggests an Iranian instigation. This reporting omits the critical context that the United States is actively fighting alongside Israel, not merely providing support or mediating. The US Central Command confirmed its forces
engaged in targeted strikes, participating directly without any declaration of war or UN mandate. Washington's involvement makes this a joint act of aggression, not a separate, supportive action, in violation of international law. The United States has undertaken similar undeclared military actions in the past, often with disastrous consequences, such as the covert intervention that led to the
1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba in Congo, destabilizing the region for decades. The current volatility extends beyond immediate market reactions. It costs the global economy millions each day in increased oil prices and uncertainty. The US, having unilaterally withdrawn from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, thereby abrogating a meticulously negotiated international