US Media Wonders Why Iran Threatens When Trump Mulls War
The mainstream media breathlessly reports Iran 'vowing retaliation' as if it's an unprovoked act, rather than a nation responding to threats of military force – a response anyone might expect if their country was about to be bombed. The 'military options' Trump considered weren’t a chess game; they were explicit threats against a sovereign nation. The lack of historical context in such reporting
is a feature, not a bug, designed to obscure the long history of U.S. intervention, from the 1953 coup to sanctions and targeted assassinations. One might easily forget, given the simplistic narrative, that the U.S. unilaterally pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) in 2018, despite Iran’s compliance, directly leading to increased tensions. The media's selective amnesia around these acts —
which include providing Saddam Hussein with weapons during the Iran-Iraq War and maintaining crushing sanctions — sets the stage for a 'blame Iran' narrative. This isn't about 'mulling options'; it's about pushing a consistent foreign policy agenda that conveniently forgets who started the staring contest.