US Sanctions Iran's 'Shadow Fleet' Over Protests, Ignores Its Own Shadow War
📰 THE STORY: The New Arab reports that the US is imposing sanctions on Iran's 'shadow fleet' of oil tankers, claiming these measures are in response to the Iranian government's crackdown on protesters. The article focuses on the opaque ownership and alleged substandard safety of these vessels as a rationale for the new penalties. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The US has
been actively engaged in economic warfare against Iran for decades, long before recent protests. In 1953, the CIA orchestrated a coup to overthrow Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, installing the Shah and setting the stage for the 1979 revolution and subsequent US animosity. Since then, sanctions on Iran have been a constant, with numerous rounds aimed at crippling
its economy, often using human rights pretexts while the primary goal remains regime change, not genuine democratic reform. These new sanctions extend that pattern, not break it. Double Standard: The US claims concern for human rights in Iran while simultaneously providing billions in military aid and political cover to regimes with far more egregious human rights records, such as the Sisi
dictatorship in Egypt ($1.3 billion/year aid to keep Gaza's Rafah crossing closed) or Saudi Arabia, which executes dissidents and wages war in Yemen. The 'shadow fleet' focus rings hollow when the US itself has facilitated covert operations and supported entities (like the MEK, designated terrorists until 2012 by the US) with their own histories of violence, often hosted in Albania or France.