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The speaker argues that instead of focusing on claims that Iran supports terrorism, people making those claims should “turn the mirror” on US-linked mass killings and the lack of accountability. They state they compiled a short list of “mass killings linked to US power” from the last 30–40 years, filtered for events involving at least 100 deaths in a single day, and add that the list would be much larger if expanded. They say each event was funded by US taxpayers and that no one was really held accountable. They also claim Iran has “never launched anything close” to the magnitude of terror on the US, while noting that reports are still coming in about Israel’s ongoing attacks on Lebanon (including evacuation orders issued overnight and reports of people buried in their homes).
The speaker then focuses on an event from July 3, 1988: the downing of Iranian Air Flight 655 by the US Navy warship USS Vincennes. They describe it as a civilian plane flying from Bandar Abbas to Dubai with 290 people aboard, including 66 children. They claim the aircraft was following a normal commercial flight corridor over the Persian Gulf, presenting no threat, and broadcasting a civilian transponder signal while climbing normally. They say missiles tore the aircraft apart and that victims fell into the water.
The speaker contrasts the US “official explanation” with what they say was contrary evidence. They describe the official account as an “oops” in which the US claimed it mistook the Airbus for an attacking Iranian F-14 fighter jet during a tense naval confrontation. They assert problems with the excuse, including that the flight was broadcasting a civilian transponder signal, was flying a known pattern, and that multiple military personnel onboard the Vincennes reportedly had data indicating it was a commercial civilian craft.
They connect the incident to the US’s broader role in the Iran–Iraq War. They say the attack occurred during the same period as Operation Praying Mantis, described as the largest US naval combat operation since World War II, authorized by President Reagan to attack Iranian oil platforms. They also claim the US backed Iraq in order to topple Iran for decades, shifted alignment, and supported Saddam Hussein to launch an Iraqi war on Iran until the US decided it did not like him anymore and sought his removal.
The speaker says the US did not apologize. They cite Reagan calling the shooting “proper defensive action,” and say Vice President Bush later said he would never apologize “for the United States of America” and would ignore “what the facts are.” They claim media condemnation was limited and that the UN did not condemn it, instead passing Security Council Resolution 616, describing states as “deeply distressed” and “gravely disturbed.” The speaker says Iran brought a case at the International Court of Justice, and the US settled in 1996 for 131.8 million plus two new Airbus aircraft.
They argue this became part of Iranian cultural memory, including an Islamic Republic stamp memorializing it as an American attack on innocent civilians.
The speaker then lists other incidents they say contributed to regional memory: the February 13, 1991 bombing of a shelter in Baghdad, where they claim hundreds were burned alive and many bodies were later found melted into walls; and the April 18, 1996 shelling of a UN compound in Qana, Lebanon, where they claim more than 100 civilians were killed and that later UN conclusions suggested deliberate shelling, while Israel disputed it. They add that Qana is described as being attacked again by Israel in April, including an overnight attack on the city that killed at least five and wounded dozens.
They broaden to “mirror” arguments and accuse the US of creating or provoking “terror” narratives, citing claims about false flags such as 9/11 and Pearl Harbor, and saying the US is a perpetrator to support war. They reference discussions involving Victoria Nuland, Mike Pompeo, Lindsey Graham, and neocons, and include examples ranging from NATO operations (including Operation Gladio and bombings like Bologna) to claimed narratives about the Orlando nightclub shooting. The speaker ends by urging viewers to remember these histories when told “Iran is a terrorist state” or that Iran supports terror, and says another massacre is unfolding in Lebanon with residential and refugee camp bombing after evacuation orders.