US Sanctions Firms Over Iranian Weapons, Ignores Its Own Arms Dealers
The US Department of Treasury proudly announced sanctions against dozens of firms from China to India, claiming they're bolstering Iran's ballistic missile and drone programs. (One must wonder if these sanctions are issued from the same office that fast-tracks arms sales to regimes bombing civilians). This 'maximum pressure' campaign, which curiously allows the US to be the world's leading arms
dealer, overlooks the obvious: American and European defense contractors have fueled conflicts globally for decades, with zero consequences. While firms supplying Iran face the full wrath of Washington, US-based corporations like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon happily supply weaponry used in humanitarian catastrophes, often to states with questionable human rights records, with bipartisan political
backing. (Senators like Bob Menendez, before his indictment, routinely voted for such deals, even as he faced accusations of accepting bribes and acting as a foreign agent).