Mehdi Unfiltered How Trump Is Borrowing Putin's Playbook On Iran
Mar 5, 2026
A sharp comparison between Russian tactics in Ukraine and recent U.S./Israeli actions toward Iran. Examination of language used to deny it's a war and to justify preemptive strikes. Scrutiny of claims about imminent threats and how they match past falsehoods. Accounts of strikes on civilian sites like schools and hospitals.
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Language Framing To Deny A War
- Mehdi Hasan highlights a deliberate semantic strategy: U.S. leaders are insisting the Iran strikes are not a war, mirroring Russia's 'special military operation' framing in Ukraine.
- The White House even pushed allies to call it "major combat operations," showing coordinated language control to downplay escalation.
Preemptive Strike Claim Mirrors Putin
- Hasan exposes the pretext tactic: claiming the strikes were preemptive and aimed at an imminent threat, just as Putin claimed before invading Ukraine.
- He cites admissions to congressional staff that U.S. intelligence did not indicate Iran was preparing an imminent attack.
Civilian Targets And Massacre Parallels
- Hasan draws a direct parallel on civilian targeting: Russia's bombing of schools and hospitals in Ukraine is echoed by U.S. and Israeli strikes on an Iranian school and hospital.
- He gives concrete casualty details: about 60 killed in a Russian-hit school, and over 160 Iranian schoolgirls and staff killed in Iran.