Desperate Washington ---
turns economic war........
into economic terrorism
August 20, 3:09pm
(PressTV)
Donald Trump’s latest declaration of economic warfare against
Iran reflects Washington’s frustration after decades of
sanctions, threats and coercive measures failed to
force Tehran to surrender its sovereignty.
Trump has presented the measure as an unprecedented economic
operation while threatening governments, financial institutions,
companies, airports, shipping networks and other actors
maintaining commercial or financial channels
with Tehran.
The extravagant language surrounding the escalation exposes
a contradiction because, if successive sanctions, maximum
pressure campaigns, military threats and direct force had
succeeded, the US ........would have little reason for
another campaign.
The confrontation predates Trump and the Islamic Republic,
reaching back to the 1953 coup when Washington and
London helped overthrow Prime Minister Mohammad
Mosaddegh --- after his government nationalized
Iran’s oil.
That episode remains central to Iranian perceptions of Western
power because it established a historical pattern in which
sovereign control over national resources collided with
foreign governments .......pursuing strategic and
economic interests.
The legacy of that intervention survived the monarchy’s collapse
and shaped the Islamic Republic’s understanding of economic
sovereignty, closely linking national independence with
political self-determination ---- and resistance to
external control.
After the 1979 revolution, the US imposed successive restrictions
as diplomatic relations collapsed, eventually constructing an
extensive sanctions architecture covering trade, finance,
investment, technology, energy, shipping and
international banking.
US control over dollar-based financial networks
gave Washington extraordinary leverage over
foreign companies and institutions, allowing
policymakers to penalize international
actors maintaining relationships
with Iran.
Yet sanctions have repeatedly failed to achieve political
capitulation, as Iran has absorbed substantial costs
while preserving strategic positions Washington
sought to change.
The 2015 nuclear agreement provided perhaps the clearest
evidence - that confrontation was not inevitable, as Iran
accepted significant nuclear restrictions, in exchange
for sanctions relief & greater international commerce.
Trump’s withdrawal from that agreement in 2018 destroyed that
opening and restored sanctions under maximum pressure,
seeking reduced Iranian oil revenues and broader
concessions concerning foreign policy and
national security.
Iran - nevertheless - adapted to renewed pressure, preserving
economic activity under increasingly difficult conditions and
demonstrating that hardship ------- does not automatically
translate into political surrender.
Iran possesses structural advantages that make complete external
domination exceptionally difficult, including more than 90 million
people, extensive oil and gas reserves, a large domestic
market and substantial human capital.
Its economic potential extends beyond hydrocarbons because
decades of education have produced engineers, scientists,
physicians, researchers, entrepreneurs and skilled
workers, whose accumulated knowledge can
not simply be removed through sanctions.
Domestic industries and technological institutions have likewise
developed in difficult conditions - enabling Iran to manufacture,
maintain and adapt numerous essential goods while reducing
dependence on international supply chains.
Geography provides another enduring advantage because Iran links
the Persian Gulf with Central Asia, the Caucasus and wider Asian
markets while bordering the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
These advantages do not make Iran immune to economic hardship
because prolonged restrictions have imposed serious costs on
households, businesses and national development.
They explain, however, why economic coercion cannot
automatically become political domination - despite
Washington’s extensive financial and
commercial leverage.
Maximum pressure can produce a central paradox because
attempts to increase Iran’s dependence on Washington
can encourage Tehran to reduce those vulnerabilities,
through alternative payments & domestic production.
Restrictions on finance encourage alternative mechanisms,
while limitations on imported technology stimulate
domestic capabilities.. and pressure on energy
exports encourages diversification toward
alternative customers.
Trump’s latest measure is particularly revealing, because its reach
extends beyond Iran, threatening third countries and commercial
actors, whose relationships with Tehran... make them become
targets of US pressure.
Washington is therefore turning a bilateral confrontation into a wider
commercial dispute --- while seeking to compel governments,
banks and companies to subordinate their legitimate
economic interests to US strategic preferences.
The effectiveness of such coercion depends not merely on
Washington’s capacity to impose costs, but on whether
those costs can produce political concessions from
a sovereign country.
Iran’s future prosperity depends on overcoming inflation, investment
constraints, infrastructure gaps, technological competition and
employment challenges while turning its natural resources
and human capital into productive investment.
Economic modernization therefore --- requires diversification,
technological development, efficient infrastructure, regional
integration & job creation to convert structural advantages
into broader prosperity.
The historical record... suggests that prolonged external pressure
has strengthened Iran’s determination to build a more self-reliant
economy, diversify its commercial relationships and expand.. its
technological capabilities.
Trump’s latest escalation therefore presents Iran with another
challenge that can be confronted through experience,
resilience and economic capacities developed
under decades of sanctions.
After more than four decades, US economic power has repeatedly
demonstrated its ability to impose costs, but not to dictate Iran’s
strategic choices.
Successive pressure campaigns have failed to produce the
political outcomes Washington sought, while encouraging
Iran to strengthen its economic resilience and reduce its
dependence on vulnerable international channels.
The latest campaign of economic terrorism is likely to encounter
the resilience that has frustrated previous efforts, while Iran
converts decades of adaptation ------- into productivity,
investment and technological advancement.
Iran is increasingly positioned to withstand and ultimately quash the
latest economic offensive, turning Washington’s pressure campaign
into an impetus for stronger economic independence, broader
prosperity and greater national capacity.
___________________________________
Gaza bids farewell to 50 unknown
Palestinians killed in genocide
August 20, 11:05am
(PressTV)
Hundreds of people have performed funeral prayers during a mass
funeral ceremony in Gaza City for 50 Palestinians whose remains
Civil Defense teams recently recovered... from beneath homes
destroyed by Israeli attacks during the genocidal war in the
blockaded region.
On Thursday, the families and relatives of the martyrs gathered
at the courtyard of al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City to
participate in the farewell ceremony and in preparation for
their burial in the city's cemeteries.
Gaza Civil Defense teams were able to recover the bodies of the
Palestinians... more than two years after their martyrdom.
This comes as Civil Defense teams are facing severe challenges
due to the acute shortages ------ of heavy machinery, equipment,
logistical supplies, and the fuel needed for recovery operations.
Gaza's Civil Defense agency called on local and international
journalists, as well as media organizations, to attend the
funeral ceremonies in order to document the Israeli
atrocities and convey to the whole world the
suffering of Palestinian families who have
lost their loved ones, as a result of the
Israeli onslaught that has targeted
homes .......and residential
neighbourhoods.
Field sources reported that the martyrs belonged to the al-Sawafiri,
al-Batniji and Karam families. They were buried alive after the
ceilings of their homes collapsed during Israeli strikes.
The Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday that another
10 Palestinians were killed and 25 others wounded
over the past 24 hours in the Gaza Strip, raising
the death toll from Israel's genocide in the
blockaded coastal territory since
October 2023 to 73,417.
The ministry did not specify the circumstances surrounding
the casualties, as the Israeli military continues to violate
the October 2025 ceasefire through shelling and gunfire
across different parts of the territory.
A number of victims remain trapped under the rubble and
on the roads, with ambulance and civil defense crews
still unable to reach them, the ministry added.
The genocide perpetrated by Israel in Gaza, has led to
extensive devastation throughout the coastal sliver,
affecting approximately 90% of its infrastructure.
The UN estimates the reconstruction costs
at around $70 billion.
_______________________________________
Iraq’s ‘historic’ sovereignty day
set for Sept. 30 as US-led
coalition departs:
PMU official
August 20, 9:22am
(PressTV)
A senior official from the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU),
commonly known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, has described
September 30 as an historic day for Iraq, as it will
mark the day when the US-led military coalition
will withdraw from the country.
“September 30 will be an historic event and a major achievement to
which many parties have contributed,” Director of the PMU Media
Department, Muhannad Al-Aqabi, stated on Wednesday evening.
He added that.... “The security and stability which Iraq currently
enjoys are due to the sacrifices being made by security forces.”
Aqabi noted that certain individuals are seeking to complicate
the issue of placing all weapons under exclusive state
control, and that some factions are attempting to
exacerbate the situation.
He stressed that the anti-terror Iraqi resistance groups are
fairly committed to the country’s political establishment
and national stability.
The senior PMU official said all walks of Iraqi society “should
celebrate September 30 as a day of sovereignty and joy,”
expressing surprise at “the talk of confrontations or
clashes occurring after that date.”
He stressed that “Iraqis will not get dragged into an
internal conflict, as all parties are committed to
Iraq’s safety, security and unity.”
Aqabi said that “dialogue serves as the best way to resolve any
dispute,” adding that “Hashd al-Sha’abi has a role in bringing
the government and factions closer together. Iraq is
currently more stable than ever.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, Aqabi expressed hope that
the legislation on the Popular Mobilization Units will
be passed by the Iraqi parliament within the
coming days.
The proposed bill includes the Service and Retirement
Law for the PMU, and aims to organize the Popular
Mobilization Commission (PMC) like other state
security and military agencies.
“All the indications point to its imminent passage, and there are no
obstacles to prevent its enactment. The law will guarantee the
rights of fighters and their families, and contribute to the
stability of the PMU,” Aqabi said.
He stated that Hashd al-Sha’abi is making progress day by day
and is becoming stronger in terms of its servicemen, training,
organization, and military hardware.
Its role “will not change, and there are plans to develop
its capabilities ---- in line with global developments,”
Aqabi pointed out.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has stated that the September
30 deadline for termination of the US-led coalition's military
mission in Iraq and the full withdrawal of its forces is
“fixed and final.” The coalition was - purportedly -
formed to fight the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.
In 2024, Washington and Baghdad came to a consensus
to conclude the US-led operations against Daesh.
US forces withdrew from most bases across Iraq last year;
however, they continued to have a presence in the semi-
autonomous Kurdish region.