US Corporate Media's Selective Empathy for Iranians in Coverage of Strikes on Iran On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched joint military strikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and targeting nuclear, missile, and security sites, in what was presented as addressing threats but criticized as deliberate provocation amid stalled nuclear negotiations. The article, an opinion piece by Belén Fernández republished on a nuclear issues blog, argues that US corporate media outlets like The New York Times and Washington Post exhibit hypocritical concern for Iranian civilians. They frequently highlight Iranian government oppression—such as crackdowns on protesters, women's rights abuses, and alleged killings—to portray Iranians as victims of their own regime, thereby justifying or rationalizing US/Israeli attacks. However, these same outlets minimize or treat as footnotes the civilian casualties from the strikes themselves, including the deaths of at least 175 people (many children) in a missile hit on a girls' elementary school in Minab. The piece contrasts this with extensive coverage of the few US troops killed in Iranian retaliation. It also notes media amnesia regarding their past roles in promoting anti-Iran narratives (e.g., calls to bomb Iran) and external factors fueling unrest, like US sanctions and alleged Israeli interference in protests. The author accuses the media of distracting from the aggression's brutality by focusing on Iranian state violence, drawing parallels to past justifications for interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and emphasizing that Iranians are humanized only when it serves imperial narratives rather than when killed by US/Israeli forces.

US Corporate Media's Selective Empathy for Iranians in Coverage of Strikes on Iran

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US media obsesses over domestic drama, yet largely ignores massive military buildups against Iran. This isn't just an oversight, it's a pattern. #Iran #USMediaBias @The_Piaz

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