The decision by United States President Donald Trump not to bomb Iran in retaliation for its missile strikes against US military bases in Iraq (themselves retaliation for the assassination of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani) has eased fears that the US would launch another war in the Middle East.
US aggression against Iran
IRANIAN authorities blocked internet access on January 14, with pressure continuing to mount on the theocratic regime as student protests calling for a new revolution swept the country.
According to the internet-tracking organisation NetBlocks, Iran experienced an outage at 5.25pm local time with 鈥渉igh impact to almost all providers鈥 for a duration of 10 minutes.
The government was previously accused of blocking the internet as security services moved against protesters during demonstrations in November.
The United States military strike on January 3 that assassinated Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, Quds Brigade commander Qasem Soleimani and deputy commander of the Iraqi government-affiliated Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Iran鈥檚 retaliation against two US military bases in Iraq on January 8 brought the World to the brink of war.
Former veterans, labour organisations and leftists in the United States have come out against a US war on Iran. Anti-war rallies will be taking place across the US and Canada on January 25, as part of a global day of action.
The United States and Britain are ensuring that tensions remain high in the Straits of Hormuz as they continue beating the drums of war against Iran.
A number of Middle East and Islamic Studies scholars in the United States have signed an open letter calling on US President Donald Trump to pull back from war with Iran.
A range of US policies have been deliberately designed to provoke an Iranian response, writes Phyllis Bennis.
