By Stephen Lendman

June 15, 2020 "Information Clearing House" - Since taking office, the Trump regime upped the stakes in Washington’s long war by other means on Iran.

US hostility toward the Islamic Republic has nothing to do with a national security threat that doesn’t exist. 

It’s all about its sovereign independence, wanting Israel’s main regional rival neutralized and returning Iran to US client state status, along with gaining control over its huge hydrocarbon resources, some of the world’s largest.

The Trump regime is waging all-out war on Iran by other means.

In early June, the CIA-connected Washington Post falsely claimed that Tehran might attack US regional positions ahead of its November 3 presidential election.

Separately, recent reports by Fox News and the Times of Israel perpetuated the myth about Iran getting closer to being able to produce nukes.

Unreliable sources for these claims come from Israel and US Iranophobes, no credible evidence supporting them because none exists.

What’s going on is longstanding US/Israeli propaganda war on Iran, pushing the envelope toward possible direct confrontation beyond what already happened.

It’s a dangerous, high-risk game, risking war with a nation able to hit back hard if preemptively attacked.

The latest inflammatory accusation against Iran comes from UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, a figure dismissive of US, NATO, Israeli high crimes of war and against humanity.

Never condemning them, his customary response to naked aggression is urging both sides to “show restraint.”

His latest support for imperial interests over world peace came from a conveniently leaked UN report last week that cites him.

It claimed Iranian missiles were used to attack Saudi oil installations last September, backing Trump regime accusations at the time.

Ignored was longstanding US war on Yemen since October 2001 — launched by Bush/Cheney, escalated by Obama with Saudi involvement, Trump upping the stakes exponentially.

In October 2016, Reuters claimed that Iran was supplying Yemeni Houthis with weapons through neighboring Oman — unnamed US, other “Western” officials its source, along with Saudi Arabia.

In response, Omani Foreign Minister Yousef bin Alwi debunked the accusation, saying:

“There is no truth to this. No weapons have crossed our border and we are ready to clarify any suspicions if they arise.”

Reuters admitted the following:

Yemeni “Houthis gained a trove of weapons when whole divisions allied to former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh sided with them at the start of the war last year,” adding:

“US and (other) Western officials who spoke to Reuters about (access to weapons by Houthi fighters said their claim) was based on intelligence they had seen but did not elaborate on its nature” — its credibility very suspect not explained by the wire service.

According to the leaked UN report, missiles used by the Houthis have Iranian “design characteristics (and/or) bear Farsi markings.”

Left unsaid was if Iran was supplying missiles to Houthis, why would its authorities let them be easily identified, notably by Farsi markings on them?

In response to 2018 accusations of Iran supplying Houthis with missiles, then IRGC commander General Ali Jafari debunked the claim, saying:

“How is it possible to send weapons, especially missiles, to a country which is fully under siege and there is even no possibility to send medical aid and foodstuff?”

“Missiles fired at Saudi Arabia belong to Yemen which have been overhauled and their range has been increased.”

Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami denounced a pattern of false US accusations, while ignoring its own imperial high crimes.

On Saturday, Iran’s UN envoy Majid Takht Ravanchi slammed the leaked UN report, saying:

“Iranian origin of arms (to Yemeni Houthis) is a fallacy. The UN secretariat lacks capacity, expertise and knowledge to conduct investigations,” adding: 

“It seems the US, with its history of Iran-bashing, sits in the driver’s seat to shape UN assessments.”

On Friday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the leaked UN report as unacceptable propaganda, adding:

“The UN Secretariat’s report is clearly under political pressure from the US and Saudi regimes.”

It appears that the report “was prepared under direction of the (Trump regime) to be used…in the Security Council against Iran.”

“Such dictated processes will cause severe damage to the credibility and undermine the integrity of the United Nations.”

“The (Trump regime) is the gravest violator of Security Council Resolution 2231, and no one can clear the name of that State from systematic violations of international rules.”

Iran is the region’s leading proponent of peace, stability, and mutual cooperation with other nations — at war with none, threatening none.

Its military capabilities are solely for defense, its legal right under international law.

Its involvement in Syria is all about aiding government forces combat US supported ISIS and likeminded terrorists, Iranian military advisors in the country, not combat troops.

The US, its key NATO allies, Israel, and the Saudis are aggressor states, waging preemptive regional wars.

Instead of laying blame where it belongs for what’s gone on endlessly in the Middle East, the region transformed into a permanent war theater by the US and its allies, Guterres falsely suggested that Iran breached Security Council Res. 2231, unanimously affirming the JCPOA.

Since adopted in 2015, taking effect in January 2016, Iran has been in full compliance with its provisions — no evidence suggesting otherwise.

In sharp contrast, the US breached the agreement, notably by Trump abandonment of what’s binding international and US constitutional law under its Supremacy Clause (Article VI, Clause 2).

Britain, France, Germany, and the EU breached the landmark agreement by failing to observe its provisions.

Iran slammed the new UN report, saying it was prepared and leaked because of “political pressure from the (Trump) and Saudi regimes.”

Its timing comes when Pompeo and other Trump regime hardliners want the expiring UN arms embargo on Iran kept in force permanently, along with UN sanctions ended by the JCPOA reimposed.

The Security Council has final say on these issues. Russia and China firmly oppose reimposition.

The US, no longer part of the JCPOA because of Trump’s unlawful abandonment of the deal, is pushing hard for reimposition.

Which way EU countries intend to go remains uncertain.

Will they uphold the rule of law and save the JCPOA, or let it die by siding with hostile Trump regime policies against nonbelligerent Iran.

What happens will be known as things play out in the weeks and months ahead.

Stephen Lendman was born in 1934 in Boston, MA. In 1956, he received a BA from Harvard University. Two years of US Army service followed, then an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1960. Stephen now hosts the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network three times weekly. Distinguished guests are featured. Listen live or archived. Major world and national issues are discussed. Lendman is a 2008 Project Censored winner and 2011 Mexican Journalists Club international journalism award recipient. Visit Stephen's website : stephenlendman.org (Home – Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

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