Twenty years after Iraq’s WMD narrative collapsed, the same media voices are repeating the same playbook on Iran.
Haven’t we played this game before?
News outlets are doing the exact same thing they did with Iraq. Instead of challenging government claims, they choose to regurgitate repetitive talking points from interviews. It’s as if a majority of the cable news press got together, reviewed Iraq footage, and just recut the old reporting into new propaganda for the masses.
During the media build-up to the Iraq war, the media ran stories asserting that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, nuclear ambitions, and was the “Godfather” of terrorism. These messages from media have dominated the narrative, generating fear among the American people, and ultimately found to be false.
The same media commentators, like Mark Levin, who sold the Iraq war to the public, are now presenting the Iran threat with the same level of absolute certainty. It’s as if the past 20 years never happened.
I am willing to bet, that I am not the only one tired of the “Interview a Neocon” clips we have to begrudgingly digest?
On Fox News with Maria Bartiromo, Lindsey Graham said the U.S. is “cleaning out the bad guys,” then pulls out a “Make Iran Great Again” hat, and continues talking about U.S. world domination.
If the words “evil supervillain” described a real person, Lindsey Graham might qualify.
If you think I am exaggerating, watch this starting at the 5:48 mark.
Has Lindsey Graham changed his tune in the last decade?
At the 2016 Presidential debate, he pulled out his fearmongering rhetoric on prime time. Graham states, “If we don’t stop them over there, they are coming here just as sure as I stand here in front of you.” Afterwards, the case for more ground troops being stationed in Iraq continues.
I think the lack of a Lindsey Graham presidency is something the United States has prospered from. Unfortunately U.S. intervention continues in the Middle East to this very day.
See Lindsey in action below.
The Iraq Playbook is Being Reused
Many news outlets play the skeptical role well in the beginning, but quickly change into cheerleaders once military action begins.
In 2003, the narrative was simple. Saddam was a threat, we needed to act quickly, and waiting would put Americans in danger. This equates to building buy-in from the American people. The more fear they can build within the population, the more agreeable the public becomes.
Is the current Iran media strategy really that different?
As of this writing, the Iran conflict began on February 28th, 2026.
What do we know about Iran from cable news affiliates?
Iran is an immediate threat to American lives if not dealt with quickly. Also, the relentless focus on military success. Lastly, the constant reference to the short term goal, without regard for long-term consequences.
This creates public momentum for U.S. overseas intervention before debate really happens. These comparisons should make us all stop and think about what’s actually at stake.
Did news agencies really pay any sort of price for being wrong about the Iraq war?
No, they did not in the slightest. There is zero incentive for them to not repeat the same mistakes twice.
Another common denominator between the Iraq War and the current Iran conflict is the Israeli government.
In 2003, Israel reinforced U.S. intelligence reports that “weapons of mass destruction” were hidden in Iraq. In 2026, they told U.S. intelligence that Iran is weeks away from a nuclear weapon. The fear tactic of Iran using that weapon is working.
Same song, same man is involved, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been saying Iran is moments away from a nuclear weapon since 1995.
See his greatest hits below.
Why the Narrative Still Works
The United States is a country of patriots who want the best for their country, their families, and their livelihoods. The majority of those people believe the U.S. does no wrong, and regardless of the action, will support any decision the government makes.
Do you feel like these complex foreign policy situations often get reduced to good vs. evil stories? Whether it be Iran, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc., the strategy is “We MUST slay monsters to keep you safe.”
This is why so many Americans are more than willing to give up their rights in return for security.
These same media institutions told the American public Saddam had weapons of mass destruction are now presenting the Iran threat with the same certainty. The same experts who got Iraq catastrophically wrong are suddenly back on television telling us why this war is necessary.
And just like in 2003, anyone asking basic questions about intelligence claims or long term consequences gets treated like they’re irresponsible, hate America, or antisemitic.
We’ve already seen this play out once, which begs me to ask why do we continue trusting the government script repeated by the media?
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