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Geoff Fischer's avatar

If the Islamic Republic of Iran was truly evil, it would not be at war with the United States and Israel. It would be a firm ally of both those entities.

It is true that Iran has a level of domestic dissent. I know that from personal experience, because I have attended anti-government demonstrations in Tehran as an observer of the actions of both the protesters and the security forces, and I can say with confidence that militant protest demonstrations are tolerated by the regime so long as they stop short of physical violence.

We also know that when dissent erupted into violence early this year, it was incited and directed by the CIA and Mossad. One of the reasons we know that is because Donald Trump has demanded reparations for US troops killed or injured in the course of the war against Iran, and also for the insurrectionists who died in the February conflict. That was a clear acknowledgement that the insurrectionists were US assets. You don't demand reparations for someone else's losses.

It remains the case that public opinion in Iran is deeply divided between groups that I term the "Khameneis" on the one hand and the "Kardashians" on the other, and at times the conflict manifests in violence. But it is worth noting that less than 4000 died on both sides in the disturbances of early this year. Compare that with the 700,000 who died in the US civil war.

Those like myself who have actually lived in Iran and who don't have any loyalty to the iniquitous Pahlavi dynasty are able to see through the barrage of anti-Iranian propaganda in western media such as the Guardian.

Given that the west has been trying to strangle Iran to death since 1953, and arguably long before that, Iran is a remarkably open society which tolerates a greater range of political opinion than anything that I have seen in the west. An Iranian victory is vital for the future peace and security of the world in the face of the criminally insane behavior of Trump, Netanyahu, Hegseth, Rubio and all their henchmen. Those on the left who choose this moment to attack Iran are doing the work of Trump and Netanyahu, and they know it.

shariar's avatar

A big part of the approx. 4000 deaths was instigated by CIA and Mossad agents who were among the protester. Pompeo and an Israeli TV channel or one of its officials also said that CIA and Mossad were present during the uprising. The violence demonstrated by the "anti-government" protesters was extremely barbaric. They beheaded police officers and set them on fire. Another indicator of the type of barbaric violence only Israelis are capable.

Sam's avatar

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe during the days of WWII, the USA and UK installed the father of Shah Pahlavi, who was installed after the USA and UK deposed Mossadegh in 1953. The elderly Shah was imposed because of a fear that Iran would side with Germany. Thus, the USA has done great injustice to Iran from WWII onwards.

Chang Chokaski's avatar

Here are some corrections to your above comment and clarifications to the confusion (for most western audiences) and some history on this ->

- The first Pahlavi Shah (the father) (Reza Khan who ruled from 1925 to 1941), wasn't initially a shah or a Pahlavi. He was a military officer (Reza Khan) who rose through the Persian Cossack Brigade, seized power in a 1921 coup, and eventually deposed the preceding Qajar dynasty, crowning himself Shah in 1925. He adopted the "Shah" moniker and crowned himself the first ruler of a new "Pahlavi" dynasty. (No western involvement here).

- The son of Reza Shah (i.e. Reza Khan - the first Pahlavi ruler) was called Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and ruled from 1941 to 1979. He became Shah not through a succession struggle but because Britain and the Soviet Union jointly invaded and occupied Iran in 1941 (Operation Countenance), forcing Reza Shah (i.e. Reza Khan) into exile because of his perceived pro-German sympathies. The Allies installed his 22-year-old son (known as Mohammad Reza Pahlavi) as a more pliable replacement. So the first father-son transition was itself a foreign-orchestrated regime change — often overlooked in favor of the more famous 1953 event.

Where/how Mossadegh fits in - this is the part most Western accounts get muddled. Key point: Mossadegh never held the throne and was never a rival claimant to it. He was a democratically elected Prime Minister, not competing for the monarchy. The ruler/monarch of Iran between 1941 and 1979 was always "the son Shah" (Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi)

IMPORTANT -> When the coup happened in 1953, Mohammad Reza Shah was already on the throne at this point (since 1941) — he didn't "come to power" in 1953. What happened in 1953 is that his executive authority was restored/expanded after briefly fleeing the country when the coup initially seemed to fail. The coup reinstated his political dominance over the elected government, not his kingship itself.

So the ACCURATE FRAMING is: the US/UK didn't install the Shah as monarch — they preserved and empowered a monarch who already existed, by removing the elected PM who threatened to eclipse royal authority and Western oil interests.

Coups by Westerners in Iran ->

(1) The FIRST coup (1941) is when 'they' replaced the father (Reza Khan who changed his name to Reza Shah Pahlavi) with his son (Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi) in 1941 (this was an Anglo-Soviet coup)

(2) The SECOND coup (1953) is when 'they' removed the democratically elected PM (Mossadegh) from his position so that Mossadegh would not be able to challenge the ALREADY EXISTING rule of the son (Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi) who ruled continuously as a monarch from 1941 upto the Iranian revolution of 1978-79 (in which he (the son Shah) escaped from Iran (not exiled)). (this was an Anglo-American coup for the most part - i.e. British and American).

Hope this clarifies common confusions and timelines somewhat for the complex history of Modern Iran.

Sam's avatar
Aug 25Edited

Chang. Many thanks for your correction of my error and clarification. I wasn't aware of the subtleties and complexities.

Dave NZ's avatar

Excellent, thank you. I was under several misapprehensions before reading your piece.

Ronald Reed's avatar

I believe that the senior Shah Pahlevi was already in charge of Iran. He was, in facť, the one that changed its name from Persia to Iran in 1935, in order to promote unity and nationalism.

He was deposed by the Allies in 1941 in favor of his playboy son, primarily because he was friendlier to the Germans than he was to the Western Alliance. He wouldn't expel the German delegation, and he wouldn't allow the Allies to use Iranian bases or airspace.

Chang Chokaski's avatar

Very well expressed Geoff Fischer! 👏 And quite balanced and more objective than 'most people's opinions' on Iran (on all sides). I wish more people would approach geopolitics (like you do here with Iran) with 'understanding arguments from all sides' rather than using confirmation bias and being 'team players' for their side.

The most important takeaways (IMHO) for me from your comment (and Caitlin's wonderful article) is that - hegemonic forces of power (which is the U.S. Empire currently) will do whatever they deem necessary to maintain hegemony AND use whatever propaganda machinery/technology is available for this. All the plots, sub-plots, etc. fall under this over-arching theme of maintaining Empire hegemony for the purposes/interests of the moneyed class and capitalist accumulation.

Jordan's avatar

The U.S. killed more schoolchildren in one strike, on the first day of the war, than Iran has killed including combatants and civilians over the entire six months. It's complete insanity to frame them as equal.

Diana van Eyk's avatar

These so-called progressive piss me right off.

As we watch Israel's genocide in real time, as we understand more about what the Epstein class does, as we learn more about the illegal, unprovoked war against Iran, these people defend the western empire?

It needs to come crashing down, and we ordinary people have to learn to see things through a lens of justice and not loyalty to empire, and figure out how to compensate all those who have been wronged.

We also have to figure out how to look after ourselves and each other while the empire disintegrates.

Sam's avatar

It's disgraceful that we never hear talk in the media about forcing Israel to make reparations and restitutions for all the damage and suffering it has caused. Such could be tailored after The 1952 Luxembourg Agreements (or Reparations Agreement) were historic treaties signed on September 10, 1952, between West Germany, the State of Israel, and the Claims Conference. They obligated West Germany to pay material reparations for Nazi-era persecution and to help Israel resettle thousands of Jewish refugees. Since then, Germany has paid over 95 billion dollars with this agreement.

The Agreements comprised three distinct treaties and included the following key terms: 1) Compensation to Israel: West Germany agreed to pay Israel 3 billion Deutsche Marks (approx. $845 million at the time), primarily in the form of goods and services, over a 12-year period. 2) Support for Global Survivors: An additional 450 million Deutsche Marks were allocated to the Claims Conference to assist Holocaust survivors outside of Israel. And 3) Individual Restitution: The agreements laid the groundwork for further West German domestic legislation aimed at compensating individual victims for loss of life, liberty, property, and health.

We who are critical of Israel should perhaps raise awareness of these imposed reparations on Germany as a precedent that the depraved Jewish state should be held to.

Diana van Eyk's avatar

I wonder if this will come after Israel and the USA have lost the war.

As I witness the genocide in Gaza, I wonder how the rest of the world reacted while Germany was committing genocide in WWII, and wonder if it was equally complicit.

Harry Ziboo's avatar

Thank you for this latest column -and all the others as well. Each time I read your publication I become more depressed and more hopeful at the same time. If only every human being on earth could be exposed to such writing , we might have a chance of getting out of this mind prison that most of our governments and cultures keep us in.

Landru's avatar

Yes : ) We are family, The Nation of Caitlin.

Tom High's avatar

There are many writers on the innertoobs that I admire and respect; who enlighten me as to the where we are/how we got here. But no one cuts through noise quite like Caitlin/Tim.

“Just shut the fuck up you ridiculous wanker.”

As good as it gets.

Ken k's avatar

Israel, the forever victims. LOOSH-iferians all of them...

Antonio Brownlowe's avatar

It wont change this Propaganda has been force fed, ingrained and digested in the world

psyche for centuries and has been accepted as facts and the Truth ,since these racially Superior folks left their own Homeland to go Discover other non Europeans in their own land all over the globe.

Winston CHURCHILL::

I do not apologize for take over of the region by the Jews from the Palestinians, in the same way I don't apologize for the Whites taking over America from the Red Indians, or the takeover of Australia from the Blacks.

Its natural for a superior race to Dominate and Inferior one.

Davina's avatar

I often wonder which race he thought of as superior, because to me, their actions are so often inferior.

Cornelia HEMMELDER's avatar

To discover other non Europeans ? Certainly not. Think of all the natives everywhere slaughtered or inslaved.

javahut's avatar

It's hard to tell for sure, but I think that part of the comment was said in jest or as sarcasm. Read the uppercase 1st letters of words within the sentences as italicized or within quotes.

That's how I interpreted it.

Feral Finster's avatar

Anyone who knows anything about Churchill knows that tbis was neither jest not sarcasm.

javahut's avatar

I wasn't referring to the Churchill quote. I was referring to the poster's paragraph just before it, where he appeared to be totally contradicting what he just previously said... that is, unless that paragraph was meant in jest or as sarcasm... even though it wasn't written in a manner that unambiguously conveys it as sarcasm.

javahut's avatar

For what exactly? Or you're just an asshole and a troll?

Antonio Brownlowe's avatar

It is what it is no other way to Interpret this ,he was a also Jewish, his mom Was Jewish

javahut's avatar

That still doesn't make your original comment any clearer in meaning. The wording of it makes it hard to understand exactly what you're attempting to convey.

Antonio Brownlowe's avatar

Well you can dismiss it all you want, sensible people who are none Zionist can see what it is ,its similar those who still claim' there' is no Genocide in Gaza, Zionist Apologists

Dad's avatar

Thanks, Caitlyn and Tim, for hitting the nails exactly on the heads - as usual. You are just increasing the energy and level of concentrated effort that I will use to resist the empire and work for the freedom of all people oppressed by the empire and its controlling Epstein Class overlords, especially the innocent Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

This is an existential crisis. If we don’t stop the empire soon, and completely, I’m afraid that all of us will inevitably face genocide as the dystopian future progresses.

Free Palestine - FUCK THE EMPIRE!

Chang Chokaski's avatar

You said the most important thing that most people haven't yet come to realize/understand:

"This is an existential crisis. If we don’t stop the empire soon, and completely, I’m afraid that all of us will inevitably face genocide as the dystopian future progresses."

What is happening in Palestine will likely spread as a cancer/virus all over the world (unless 'the Empire' - to borrow metaphors from the Star Wars universe - is stopped).

This isn't a 'what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' kind of thing.

>>"Free Palestine - FUCK THE EMPIRE!" 👍 I'm with you a 100%!!!

JennyStokes's avatar

For all the 'herd followers;' get a life and try helping the world become better.

Chetzmom4's avatar

It's ironic that if the majority of sheeple would just follow the Golden Rule, instead of PEDOE Pastors & Priests who are Govt Approved by the Rothschilds-Epstein Class, we might just figure out how to FIX problems like Homelessness in the USA, or Medical Bankruptcy, or Private Prisons Slave Labor...

The Rothschilds-Epstein Class uses some religions & their Authority Figures to control the Goy Peasant Breeders & Canonfodder Soldiers. How many Rothschilds Kids have PTSD from doing 3 tours of duty on a US Naval ship, with 6" of sh!t in the latrine and surviving on moldy bread and rancid "meat?" This is the SAME US Navy that has a War Dept "Budget" of 1.5 TRILLION Dollars- and Trump wants MORE.

Btw, Barron Trump is EXEMPT from Military service because he is TOO TALL. He is 6'7" and the height limit for a recruit is 6'8." So...President Bone Spurs murders 165 Iranian school girls as a blood sacrifice for Mizz Izzy, but luckily Barron Trump wont have to worry his pretty lil' knowing about it. No PTSD or homeless, drug addict Vet-life for Barron! Whew!

WHO are Americans, Australians, Canadians and Europeans NOT ALLOWED to criticize?

Americans can say the most vile thing about Russia, China, England, France,etc. Americans can say anything they want about the USA!

BUT - Americans and Westerners are NOT allowed to criticize One Special Sparkle Princess Country who is the #1 SAFE HAVEN FOR PEDOES- FACT.

In the USA, using the "pedoe slur" is considered an Antisemitic Comment. Umm, so... Zionists are just admitting that they either abuse or PROTECT child abusers?

Wow... and the Good Goy Sheeple at their Good Goy Church go, "Bahhhh," and bow their heads.

It isn't our religious neighbors who are the problem... Look Up.

It's the Rot at the Top.

The Rothschilds-Epstein Class is building Our CAGE and Their new workforce...

🚫ALL DATA CENTERS ✌️

JennyStokes's avatar

I know Jamenta............not worried about many people on here just the idiots with no brain!

Landru's avatar

Thank you Caitlin. Many people and myself think this u.s./israel Genocide of Palestine was the precursor to global population control of life and death. Touch a button and kill 5 million eaters in one area, touch a button and force millions to buy a product. War what is it good for absolutely nothing except profit : (

Feral Finster's avatar

Our entire system is run by sociopaths. This is inevitable in any system, as power selects strongly for sociopathy.

The problem is that sociopaths find it difficult to create lasting systems, as they are limited in their ability to cooperate, long term

Luke's avatar

“I have said it before and I’ll say it again: Zionists promote Islamophobia because convincing westerners to hate Muslims is easier than convincing them to like Israel.”

Yes, they can flip it on/off like a switch. In early 2025 you could feel the set change like a movie scene. “No more woke of White shaming in the West we need these blokes to love Murica and fight our wars.” “Hell we will even bring back their favorite President and let him shit all over the place.”

And that’s exactly what they did. As I have tried (in vain) to explain to some that this is only temporary. At some point the scene will change once again.

Michael's avatar

Great observation. Indeed we are watching a movie set designed to herd us. The “woke” nonsense was precisely designed to kill any real left movement. Flooding the country with poor immigrants was part of the same plan. Get the country so upset, they’ll scream for fascism and a police state. Biden family and Trump family go to the same parties that we’re not invited to. Divide & conquer

The Revolution Continues's avatar

"Their research has concluded that convincing westerners to hate Muslims is easier than convincing them to love Israel."

It's always easier to hate than it is to love... Love takes a lot of effort, especially on bad days when you're feeling like crap. The sociopaths in power know this and this is why they will always fall back on the "divide and conquer" tactics. Don't fall for it! If anyone tells you to hate another person or ethnic group, ask yourself, "What does this hater get out of me hating this other person/group?" And then go running away from the haters as fast as you can. They are your enemies.

Feral Finster's avatar

Our entire system is run by sociopaths. This is inevitable in any system, as power selects strongly for sociopathy.

The problem is that sociopaths find it difficult to create lasting systems, as they are limited in their ability to cooperate, long term

Cornelia HEMMELDER's avatar

There is only ONE human race, homo sapiens.

John Turcot's avatar

There is a hybrid race also. My son-in-law believes that an alien ship once entered our solar system and cross-bred with Homo Sapiens. I always thought he may have lost a few marbles in his inventory, but seeing that they bred with a ‘Chosen’ species, I’ll give him kudos for his beliefs.

SaHiB's avatar

My race is the fifty yard dash.

jamenta's avatar

You haven't been inside the Wallstreet Exchange yet!

jamenta's avatar

"The dumbest argument I’ve heard in favor of religion is “Oh so you’re saying the majority of humanity is wrong??”

Of course they are. Have you seen humanity? The majority is wrong about a great many things. They only just began figuring out that Israel is bad, for fuck’s sake."

---

Probably the best argument against religion I've ever read.

Rob Roy's avatar

Pamela, the other argument is: there is no god.

Rob Roy's avatar

I didn't write 'Pamela,' I wrote 'jameta.' Damn spellcheck. R

X K's avatar

“Israeli ‘Minister of Diaspora Affairs’ Amichai Chikli said that Zionists need to ‘cooperate with the conservative mainstream, American and European, against radical Islam.’” “Chikli argued that the western right doesn’t care about antisemitism [who really gives a shit? -ed.], so it doesn’t make sense to place emphasis there, but ‘radical Islam interests them very much.’”

“I have said it before and I’ll say it again: Zionists promote Islamophobia because convincing westerners to hate Muslims is easier than convincing them to like Israel. This is a fact, not an opinion.”

All this is further illustration that the fornicating Israelis are resorting to their fornicating tried and un-true hasbara-based tactics to portray fornicating Israel as the fornicating victim and that the fornicating truth of the fornicating matter where fornicating Israel is concerned is actually a fornicating six standard deviations beyond the fornicating mean and the world simply doesn’t understand that so of course it’s a matter of fornicating self-preservation upon fornicating Israel to stand up for its fornicating self (with fornicating billions upon billions in U.S. taxpayer-funded military support, in addition to fornicating political, diplomatic, and media support). In other words, the fornicating universe has got it all wrong, not fornicating Israel. In case there’s any doubt or confusion, the term “fornicating Israel” is used as both a description of and action to be taken upon that fornicating geographic illegitimacy.