US Sanctions Iran for Repression, Funds Repression Elsewhere
The Hill dutifully reports that the US has sanctioned Iranian officials accused of repressing protests. One might even applaud such a stance, that is until one remembers the US has consistently armed and supported regimes with far worse human rights records. While Washington decries Iran's actions, it simultaneously approves billions in military aid to countries like Saudi Arabia, whose officials
weren't sanctioned after Jamal Khashoggi's brutal murder, or Israel, despite its documented repression of Palestinians (Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch). It appears 'repression' is only sanction-worthy when it benefits a geopolitical agenda. This selective morality isn't new. It’s the same playbook used to depose leaders in Iraq and Libya, often under the guise of noble intentions, only
to destabilize entire regions. One might wonder if the concern for Iranian protestors is genuine, or if it's merely a convenient pretext for yet another regime-change narrative, as seen with the historical promotion of groups like MEK, known for its past terroristic activities but now embraced by some hawkish US politicians (Source: Council on Foreign Relations, 2012 report on MEK). How many
'humanitarian interventions' will it take for us to recognize this pattern?