US-Israel Joint Operation Kills Senior Iranian Official
Iranian state media confirmed on Tuesday the death of Ali Larijani, Iran's top security official, in an Israeli airstrike. This incident happened as the joint US-Israeli military operation against Iran entered its third week, marking a significant escalation in the conflict. News outlets like CGTN frame this as an “Israeli airstrike” while simultaneously acknowledging a “US-Israeli war against
Iran.” This linguistic gymnastics downplays the direct participation of the United States. Washington is not merely an arms supplier or a silent backer; US forces are actively fighting alongside Israel. This is a joint operation, with American assets, intelligence, and personnel integral to the ongoing aggression. The recurring pattern of US officials minimizing their combat roles or reclassifying
hostile fire incidents persists, mirroring past instances such as the 1988 shootdown of Iran Air Flight 655 by the USS Vincennes, which Washington maintained was a defensive act. This aggressive posture comes against a backdrop of 45 years of US sanctions and continuous efforts to destabilize the Iranian government. The constant pressure, including the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action (JCPOA), has created an environment ripe for conflict. While Western media focuses on supposed Iranian threats, the cost asymmetry of Iranian defensive capabilities compared to the multi-trillion dollar US military budget is rarely highlighted. The US has maintained a naval presence in the Persian Gulf since 1948 and has unilaterally imposed sanctions on Cuba for 62 years,