Are newsrooms burying Iranian efforts to influence midterms? - opinion
The newsrooms that have scrutinized the war’s costs have overlooked a consequential account of Iran’s intentions: Iran has been targeting ships to keep oil prices high to influence the US midterms.
As fuel prices surged ahead of the US midterm elections, newsrooms scrutinized the impact of the war on Americans' wallets. While commentators labeled the conflict President Trump's "war of choice," a crucial detail was largely ignored. On October 14, Reuters reported that Iran aimed to keep oil prices high through attacks on ships, thereby influencing the midterm vote.
Two senior Iranian officials confirmed this strategy, stating Iran would deploy new tactics to target ships through the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, preventing President Trump from lowering oil prices before the elections. Despite this information, major news outlets such as CNN, The Washington Post, MSNOW, and The New York Times failed to include these officials' statements alongside their coverage of the attacks, gas prices, or foreign election influence.
Consequently, readers were left with the impression that these remarks were merely political rhetoric. This omission raises significant questions about the editorial priorities of newsrooms, especially when Iran's strategy directly threatens American democracy by economically sabotaging ordinary citizens.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
