US Sanctions Iran's 'Shadow Fleet,' Forgetting Its Own Ghost Ships of Destabilization
📰 THE STORY: Al Jazeera reports that the US has sanctioned Iran's 'shadow fleet,' claiming these vessels generate funds used by Tehran to suppress its own people, particularly in response to protests. The US Treasury Secretary cited the need to 'starve the regime' of revenue. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: In 1953, the CIA orchestrated a coup against Iran's democratically
elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, installing the Shah and setting the stage for decades of resentment that directly contributed to the 1979 revolution. Since then, the US has maintained a consistent pattern of economic warfare, including arming Saddam Hussein in the 1980-88 war and imposing crushing sanctions that demonstrably impact ordinary Iranians' access to medicine and food, not
just 'regime' finances. Double Standard: The US frames Iran's trade as 'funding repression' while simultaneously approving billions in arms sales to human rights abusers like Saudi Arabia and the Israeli government, entities with documented records of violently repressing dissent and perpetrating atrocities. Where are the sanctions on the 'shadow fleets' enabling Riyadh's war in Yemen or Tel
Aviv's ongoing genocide in Gaza? Follow the Money: These sanctions, while ostensibly about human rights, are a continuation of the 'maximum pressure' campaign designed to weaken Iran's economy and maintain US geopolitical leverage. Key beneficiaries are often US defense contractors and allied nations in the region who see Iran as a competitor. The US also maintains $7 billion in frozen Afghan