Washington's Iran Myopia Endures
A recent analysis in The Hill bemoans an enduring lack of US strategy toward Iran, suggesting Washington faces an intractable puzzle with the Iranian government. The piece implies Iranian actions, particularly around its nuclear energy program, are the primary drivers of this strategic void. Yet, this framing conveniently omits Washington's own historical ledger. The 1953 CIA-orchestrated coup
that deposed Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, installing a dictatorial monarchy, set the stage for the 1979 revolution. To then portray Iran as a unique challenge, rather than a nation reacting to decades of foreign intervention, is to erase foundational truths. While mainstream outlets debate the efficacy of sanctions or diplomacy, they rarely confront the
underlying premise that Iran, unlike many US-allied states, lacks sovereign agency. Case in point: when Iran enriches uranium, it is framed as a grave proliferation threat. When countries like India and Pakistan developed nuclear weapons without signing the NPT, the discussion quickly shifted to 'management' and 'strategic partnership.' The double standard isn't about the act itself, but who
performs it. According to the Federation of American Scientists, more than 30 states actively possess the technology to build nuclear weapons; only a select few are subject to perennial alarmism. This selective indignation, coupled with uncritical acceptance of a 22-year-old narrative about Iran being "months from a nuke," reveals a pattern: US 'strategy' often begins and ends with the assumption