US Sanctions Iran Over Protests, Ignores Saudi Mass Executions
The US government, via Donald Trump, is leveraging Iranian protests to impose tariffs on countries doing business with Tehran, citing a reported death toll of 648. This conveniently overlooks the fact that Saudi Arabia, a key US ally and arms recipient, executed 81 people in a single day in March 2022 and routinely represses dissent with far less international outcry ( see Al-Monitor, March 12,
2022, for Saudi executions ). One might wonder if the 'human rights' alarm only sounds when it aligns with pre-existing regime change objectives or benefits military-industrial complex partners. This isn't about protecting protestors; it's about applying maximum pressure, a tactic proven to destabilize regions and often exacerbate the very suffering it claims to address. How many times have we
seen this playbook—sanctions, destabilization, then 'humanitarian intervention'—lead to anything but more chaos? It's almost as if the 'protest toll' becomes significant only when it can be weaponized against a designated adversary.