2020 Ends as It Began: With the Looming Threat of a US War With Iran
2020 began and ended with high-profile assassinations of Iranians, a buildup
of the US military on Iran's borders, and fears of another major war in the
Middle East.
by Alan Macleod
December 28th, 2020
By Alan Macleod
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Amid increasing hostility towards Tehran, the United States is building up
its military presence on Iran's borders. In the past three weeks alone, the
U.S. has flown in a squadron of fighter jets and extra B-52 bombers while
deploying the U.S.S. Nimitz aircraft carrier (with its strike group) and a
large submarine to the Persian Gulf. This comes on top of the 2,500 troops
it sent to Saudi Arabia earlier in the year, the first build-up of forces in
the country in 17 years. The nuclear powered Nimitz is home to nine
squadrons of fighting aircraft and has also long been rumored to carry
nuclear weapons.
The military insists that all the new measures are purely "in the name of
deterrence." However, the few journalists who have paid attention to the
news appear skeptical. "That's provocation!" wrote Rania Khalek. "You're
sending this shit thousands of miles away from your border to try to provoke
Iran and then playing the victim."
The move comes in the midst of worsening hostilities between the United
States and Iran. Last week, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad (a massive citadel
in the center of the city, almost as large as the Vatican) was hit by a
rocket strike that the Trump administration blames on Iranian-sponsored
groups. On Wednesday, Trump gave "some friendly health advice" to Iran,
tweeting that "If one American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible.
Think it over."
The U.S. also recently upped its already extensive sanctions on the Islamic
Republic, with Trump's Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela,
Elliott Abrams, claiming that "Thanks to the success of our sanctions, Iran
is looking to come back to the negotiating table to get relief," even as he
imposed new ones.
The sanctions have indeed caused serious hardship on Iran, sending the
prices of consumer goods soaring and the value of its currency, the rial, in
the opposite direction. Like in Venezuela, oil production has slowed, as
Tehran can find few buyers for its principal national export. The price of
food has also become a serious issue for many. "The sanctions deliberately
target ordinary Iranians, women, and children," Seyed Mohammad Marandi,
Professor of English Literature at the University of Tehran told MintPress
earlier this year. "They are designed to kill hospital patients and to
create poverty. They have had partial success."
Trump Enacts Sweeping New Sanctions on China, Iran, Venezuela. Biden
Promises More To Come
The new sanctions come even as an estimated 100,000 people have been killed
by American sanctions in Venezuela alone as vital medical equipment and
lifesaving drugs have been blocked from entering the country., China, Iran,
Joe Biden, Sanctions, Venezuela,
MintPress News | Alan Macleod | Dec 21
Iran was one of the earliest hit countries by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the
U.S. government used it as an opportunity to try to overthrow the
government, hindering its attempts to import medical equipment and personal
protective equipment, a move condemned by human rights groups. Hawkish media
and senior politicians alike appeared to be relishing the prospect of an
insurrection in Tehran. "With aging rulers and a weak health system, could
the coronavirus lead to a regime change in Iran?" asked former Speaker of
the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich. Eventually, the World Health
Organization stepped in directly, donating large quantities of supplies -
one reason why the Trump administration decided to leave the organization.
Abraham Accord: Experts Warn Trump Peace Deal a Precursor to War with Iran
Experts warn that the Abraham Accord is motivated most by a desire to secure
a united front against Iran for a potential future war.
MintPress News | Alan Macleod | Oct 16
2020 started with the U.S. assassination of Iranian statesman Qassem
Soleimani as he was in Iraq attending a peace conference at the invitation
of Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi. Also present were representatives
from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies with antagonistic relationships
with Tehran. The move sparked uproar in Iraq, especially after Abdul-Mahdi
revealed he had sought and received Trump's blessing to invite Soleimani.
The result was an enormous march of up to 2.5 million Iraqis parading
through Baghdad insisting that the U.S. leave the country for good. Instead,
the U.S. announced it was building three new military bases, all of them on
the Iranian border.
Throughout 2020, the Trump administration has worked hard to build a united
front against Iran amongst its client regimes in the region, with experts
suggesting to MintPress that the Abraham Accords (the Israel-UAE-Bahrain
agreement) were far more about war with Tehran than peace, as they were sold
to the public. 2020 also ended with another high profile assassination; that
of top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a crime Iran suggested
Israel or the United States must have committed.
Assassinated Iranian Scientist Headed Country's COVID Vaccine Program
Podcast: Mohsin Fakhrezadeh, the Iranian scientist assassinated last week,
headed the country's COVID-19 vaccine program.
MintPress News | Mnar Muhawesh Adley | Dec 3
The incoming Biden administration has signaled its intent to return to the
nuclear deal that Trump and his team abandoned, with the 2020 Democratic
National Platform categorically stating that,
Democrats will call off the Trump Administration's race to war with Iran and
prioritize nuclear diplomacy, de-escalation, and regional dialogue.
Democrats believe the United States should not impose regime change on other
countries and reject that as the goal of U.S. policy toward Iran."
However, with the U.S. showing its ability to rapidly change political
direction and break its own treaties, it is not clear whether Iran will see
any American agreement as credible in the long term. Nevertheless, with the
threat of a hot conflict increasing, any de-escalatory actions cannot come
soon enough.
