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Why Manufacturing Consent For War With Iran Failed This Time

Americans still have fresh memories of the death and destruction of the previous US imperial adventure in the region. On June 22, American warplanes crossed into Iranian airspace and dropped 14 massive bombs. The attack was not in response to a provocation; it came on the heels of illegal Israeli aggression that took the lives of 600 Iranians. This was a return to something familiar and well-practised: an empire bombing innocents across the orientalist abstraction called “the Middle East”. That night, US President Donald Trump, flanked by his vice president and two secretaries, told the world “Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace”. There is something chilling about how bombs are baptised with the language of diplomacy and how destruction is dressed in the garments of stability. To call that peace is not merely a misnomer; it is a criminal distortion. But what is peace in this world, if not submission to the West? And what is diplomacy, if not the insistence that the attacked plead with their attackers? In the 12 days that Israel’s illegal assault on Iran lasted, images of Iranian children pulled from the wreckage remained absent from the front pages of Western media. In their place were lengthy features about Israelis hiding in fortified bunkers. Western media, fluent in the language of erasure, broadcasts only the victimhood that serves the war narrative. And that is not just in its coverage of Iran. For 20 months now, the people of Gaza have been starved and incinerated. By the official count, more than 55,000 lives have been taken; realistic estimates put the number at hundreds of thousands. Every hospital in Gaza has been bombed. Most schools have been attacked and destroyed. Leading human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have already declared that Israel is committing genocide, and yet, most Western media would not utter that word and would add elaborate caveats when someone does dare say it live on TV. Presenters and editors would do anything but recognise Israel’s unending violence in an active voice. Despite detailed evidence of war crimes, the Israeli military has faced no media censure, no criticism or scrutiny. Its generals hold war meetings near civilian buildings, and yet, there are no media cries of Israelis being used as “human shields”. Israeli army and government officials are regularly caught lying or making genocidal statements, and yet, their words are still reported as the truth. A recent study found that on the BBC, Israeli deaths received 33 times more coverage per fatality than Palestinian deaths, despite Palestinians dying at a rate of 34 to 1 compared with Israelis. Such bias is no exception, it is the rule for Western media. Like Palestine, Iran is described in carefully chosen language. Iran is never framed as a nation, only as a regime. Iran is not a government, but a threat —not a people, but a problem. The word “Islamic” is affixed to it like a slur in every report. This is instrumental in quietly signalling that Muslim resistance to Western domination must be extinguished. Iran does not possess nuclear weapons; Israel and the United States do. And yet only Iran is cast as an existential threat to world order. Because the problem is not what Iran holds, but what it refuses to surrender. It has survived coups, sanctions, assassinations, and sabotage. It has outlived every attempt to starve, coerce, or isolate it into submission. It is a state that, despite the violence hurled at it, has not yet been broken. And so the myth of the threat of weapons of mass destruction becomes indispensable. It is the same myth that was used to justify the illegal invasion of Iraq. For three decades, American headlines have whispered that Iran is just “weeks away” from the bomb, three decades of deadlines that never arrive, of predictions that never materialise. But fear, even when unfounded, is useful. If you can keep people afraid, you can keep them quiet. Say “nuclear threat” often enough, and no one will think to ask about the children killed in the name of “keeping the world safe”. This is the modus operandi of Western media: a media architecture not built to illuminate truth, but to manufacture permission for violence, to dress state aggression in technical language and animated graphics, to anaesthetise the public with euphemisms. Time Magazine does not write about the crushed bones of innocents under the rubble in Tehran or Rafah, it writes about “The New Middle East” with a cover strikingly similar to the one it used to propagandise regime change in Iraq 22 years ago. But this is not 2003. After decades of war, and livestreamed genocide, most Americans no longer buy into the old slogans and distortions. When Israel attacked Iran, a poll showed that only 16 percent of US respondents supported the US joining the war. After Trump ordered the air strikes, another poll confirmed this resistance to manufactured consent: only 36 percent of respondents supported the move, and only 32 percent supported continuing the bombardment The failure to manufacture consent for war with Iran reveals a profound shift in the American consciousness. Americans remember the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq that left hundreds of thousands of Afghans and Iraqis dead and an entire region in flames. They remember the lies about weapons of mass destruction and democracy and the result: the thousands of American soldiers dead and the tens of thousands maimed. They remember the humiliating retreat from Afghanistan after 20 years of war and the never-ending bloody entanglement in Iraq. At home, Americans are told there is no money for housing, healthcare, or education, but there is always money for bombs, for foreign occupations, for further militarisation. More than 700,000 Americans are homeless, more than 40 million live under the official poverty line and more than 27 million have no health insurance. And yet, the US government maintains by far the highest defence budget in the world. Americans know the precarity they face at home, but they are also increasingly aware of the impact US imperial adventurism has abroad. For 20 months now, they have watched a US-sponsored genocide broadcast live. They have seen countless times on their phones bloodied Palestinian children pulled from rubble while mainstream media insists, this is Israeli self-defence. The old alchemy of dehumanising victims to excuse their murder has lost its power. The digital age has shattered the monopoly on narrative that once made distant wars feel abstract and necessary. Americans are now increasingly refusing to be moved by the familiar war drumbeat. The growing fractures in public consent have not gone unnoticed in Washington. Trump, ever the opportunist, understands that the American public has no appetite for another war. And so, on June 24, he took to social media to announce, “the ceasefire is in effect”, telling Israel to “DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS,” after the Israeli army continued to attack Iran. Trump, like so many in the US and Israeli political elites, wants to call himself a peacemaker while waging war. To leaders like him, peace has come to mean something altogether different: the unimpeded freedom to commit genocide and other atrocities while the world watches on. But they have failed to manufacture our consent. We know what peace is, and it does not come dressed in war. It is not dropped from the sky. Peace can only be achieved where there is freedom. And no matter how many times they strike, the people remain, from Palestine to Iran — unbroken, unbought, and unwilling to kneel to terror. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. Follow Al Jazeera English:...

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Behind The Stardom: Aamir Khan Opens Up About Struggles And Salmans Support

In the perpetually glamorous Bollywood world, where egos tend to clash and feuds make the headlines, Aamir Khan’s recent disclosures are a welcome reminder of the human behind the star façade. In an open and emotional interview with The Lallantop, Aamir spoke about the changing dynamics of his equation with co-superstars Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, a long journey through estrangement, emotional turmoil, unexpected warmth, and finally, friendship. Aamir’s emotional vulnerability took center stage as he revisited a particularly dark chapter of his life: his separation from Reena Dutta. “After my separation from Reena, I was emotionally broken. I would drink a lot and shut myself off from people,” Aamir admitted. In this isolating period, it was Salman Khan who unwittingly offered a lifeline. “One night, Salman simply dropped by for dinner. I don’t even know how it came about, but we ended up talking for hours,” he revealed. That impromptu conversation was the turning point in their relationship, setting the tone for a true and lasting friendship. What was more impressive about this evolution was the difference from their beginnings. Their initial collaboration on the 1994 cult comedy Andaz Apna Apna was not exactly harmonious. Aamir remembered being frustrated during the shoot because of the late arrival of Salman. “At the time, I thought we could never be friends,” he confessed. But with time and life’s harsh lessons, Aamir’s perspective changed. “I’d learned that everyone has flaws. We all make mistakes. That realization helped me become less judgmental.” While the trio of Aamir, Salman, and Shah Rukh have often been pitted against each other by fans and the media, Aamir chose to look at the situation with maturity and calm. “It’s natural. Whether it’s cricket or cinema, people always compare those at the top. I understand the curiosity,” he said, brushing off the idea of rivalry with grace. The friendship among the Khans has taken center stage more recently, with all three coming together to support each other’s personal and professional milestones. Aamir recently hosted a special screening of his upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par, a coming-of-age sports comedy directed by RS Prasanna, and both Salman and Shah Rukh showed up in support. This wasn’t a one-off gesture. Aamir also revealed that the two Khans had attended a preview screening of Loveyapa, which marked the big-screen debut of Aamir’s son, Junaid Khan. In a field where professional jealousy is sometimes whispered about, these were a true showing of brotherhood and respect. In the reflective moments, Aamir did not hold back teasing himself as well. Recalling a funny incident during his temporary residence on Carter Road while his house was being renovated, Aamir described an instance where he confused a crowd with his own fan following. “Kiran and I were staying in a building where Jackie Shroff also lived. One day, I saw a huge crowd outside and thought, ‘Finally, people have come to see me!’” he laughed. But to his surprise and amusement, the crowd was actually there for Jackie’s son, Tiger Shroff. It’s these lighthearted admissions that make Aamir’s persona even more endearing. While he has always been known for his perfectionism and seriousness about cinema, his openness about personal shortcomings, his ability to laugh at himself, and the humility with which he speaks about peers show another side of the star that fans rarely see. Professionally, Aamir Khan is again on high as Sitaare Zameen Par has succeeded. The film not only touched the hearts of people but also turned out to be a hit commercially, collecting more than ₹100 crore in India and more than ₹160 crore worldwide. The film is now among the top five highest-grossing films of the year in Bollywood. This comeback follows a low-key period for Aamir, making the reception of the film all the more significant. With the strong backing of his colleagues in the industry and renewed emotional stability, Aamir appears to have come back better as an actor and as an individual. Aamir Khan’s observations are more than insider dish; they’re a moving story of growth, humility, and human connection. His transition from emotional loneliness to renewed friendship and from professional frustration to compassionate understanding is a lesson in emotional maturity and personal growth. In a world where surface-level fame is so widely celebrated, Aamir’s candor reminds us that the largest stars require support, healing, and, most of all, genuine friendships.

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