Alternative News

About Alternative News

News about peace, disarmament and nuclear issues.

Publisher

Romina Beitseen and Andrew Irving

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

6 Jun 2015

Latest episode

18 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

97 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   18 Apr 2026

   US/Israel War on Iran Started on 29th February 2026

   US/ISRAEL WAR ON IRANSTARTED ON 28 February 2026 The world is currently a very dangerous place, dominated by aggression and wars. Recently there has been US military action against Venezuela, Iran and threatening Cuba. Decades of US hostility, including the ongoing economic blockade, have already caused enormous harm to the Cuban people and have been repeatedly condemned by the international community within the UN. Any attack against Cuba would be a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter. This is a total lawlessness. The rules-based order meant the US made the rules and everyone was ordered to follow. But now, there are no rules whatsoever. It’s total lawlessness. It is important to know that The United States has been involved in armed conflict for approximately 230 to 235 years out of its 250-year history (1776–2026), representing over 90% of its existence. So, this brings me to the current war on IRAN. The unlawful war of aggression, launched jointly against Iran by two nuclear states the US and Israeli regimes, on Saturday, February 28, 2026, in breach of international law, is yet another example of military excesses, which undermine world peace and world order, create chaos, violate national sovereignty and devastate the global economy. However, without the active military participation of the US Trump Regime and its defense of Israel at the UN Security Council, such an unprovoked military attack against Iran, which could escalate into a global military conflict, could not have occurred or would not have had the same scope. The US and Israel, two nuclear states, are at war with Iran. This is a criminal attack, planned in advance, at a time when every form of negotiation was underway. This is against the rules of international law and US law.  So why attack IRAN? This is not the first time:The US and Britain orchestrated a secret coup, known as Operation Ajax, in August 1953 to remove Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. He was removed because he nationalised the British-controlled oil industry, causing huge economic  loss to Britain and raising Cold War fears of a communist, Soviet-backed takeover in the US. In 1951, Mohammad Mosaddegh, became Prime Minister of Iran.His secular government initiated the Nationalisation of the  Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC) through an Act of Parliament leading to the formation of the National Iranian Oil Company.   Only two years of parliamentary democracy (1951-53), in 1953 the CIA and MI6 led a coup d'état against the democratically elected secular government of Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh, who was first imprisoned and then put under house arrest until his death in 1967.   So, what did the Shah do after the imprisonment of the PM Mossadegh.?After returning to power in 1953 via a US/UK-backed coup, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi consolidated absolute authority, dismantling democratic opposition and transforming Iran into a pro-Western, autocratic state. He created the brutal SAVAK secret police, and initiated the "White Revolution" which caused rapid social change and massive economic inequality. The Shah established SAVAK in 1957 with CIA and Mossad assistance to suppress dissent through surveillance, torture, and imprisonment of political opponents. He shut down the Iranian parliament (Majles) and banned political parties, rendering Iran effectively a one-party state, and was seen by many Iranians as a puppet of foreign powers. Westernisation built up military power, and used oil revenue to fund infrastructure projects while establishing strong ties with the United States and Israel. While technically maintaining the nationalisation of oil, in 1954 he allowed an international consortium to manage production, splitting revenues with them.  Rapid industrialisation and secularisation alienated conservative religious elements and rural populations.  His heavy-handed repression, combined with corruption and economic inequality, created immense public discontent, which Ayatollah Khomeini capitalised on, leading to the 1979 Revolution. The Iranian Revolution began in January 1978 with major demonstrations and protests against the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, which escalated throughout the year. The revolution ended in the overthrow of the monarchy on February 11, 1979, following the return of Ayatollah Khomeini and the establishment of a new Islamic government.  Ever since the revolution the US has imposed sanctions against Iran and planned a number of colour revolution and unrest in Iran. The first American sanctions were imposed in November 1979. Executive Order 12170, signed by President Carter, froze approximately $8.1 billion in Iranian assets held abroad. That was 46 years ago. Through eight consecutive American administrations — through Republican and Democratic presidencies alike, through periods of Iranian nuclear compliance and non-compliance — the sanctions regime has never fundamentally lifted. It has only expanded. 1979 — First sanctions. $8.1 billion in assets frozen. Trade embargo.1987 — Reagan bans all Iranian goods and services from the US market.1995 — Clinton prohibits all US trade with and investment in Iran. 1996 — Congress penalizes foreign firms investing more than $20M/year in Iranian energy.2006–2010 — Four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions targeting Iran’s nuclear program.2012 — EU bans Iranian oil exports. SWIFT disconnects all Iranian banks. The rial loses 80% of its value in months.2018 — Trump withdraws from the JCPOA — which Iran had been complying with, as IAEA-certified. Standard Chartered fined $1.5B; JP Morgan pays $5.3M for 87 violations. The US and Israel believed they could bomb Iran and that regime change would take place in a week or so. Now not only the US and Israel are shocked by Iran’s’ counter attacks, but the whole West is also in shock. Ever since the revolution, and especially since the Iraq, Afghanistan wars Iran has been preparing for this day. Iran warned the region that if US and Israel attack Iran, they will attack all the bases in the region. IRAN WAS GIVEN DECADES OF WARNINGS IT WAS TO BE ATTACKED BY US/ISRAEL, SO IRAN HAD TIME AND THE INTELLIGENCE TO PREPARE! The US/Israeli war of aggression against Iran was publicized in war plans, which were never secret, either to Iran or to those of us who were paying attention! As always, this criminal war in violation of the UN Charter and international law, a war of choice not necessity, was sold to the public by deliberate lies and false narratives served by a corrupted, elite-owned ‘news’ media. These imperialist plans were to destabilase the Middle East for ‘Greater Israel’; the US Project for a New American Century, and the Pentagon’s list of ‘7 countries in 5 years’ countries marked for overthrow to dominate the resources-rich Middle East. And for some, there was the fanatical religious extremist plan for Armageddon! President Trump is just the convenient stooge currently implementing these long-term diabolical plans (aided by the Epstein Files?!).  The impacts of the war include widespread fuel shortages across the country. This illegal war which, unfortunately the Australian Government publicly supports, has brought into reality the vulnerable position Australians are in. The conflict means an increased number of Australian citizens are now familiar with the geography of Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, and one would assume the same is true of Americans, who now find themselves at war again with a distant nation. But the history of Iran (Persia as it was formerly known) demonstrates a long, dramatic and powerful position in its relations with its external opponents. Australia needs to break free from the US and build an independent, self-reliant, and sustainable economy.   History shows Iran is not easily defeated Iran’s long history shows a pattern of resistance and resilience against external powers. The present conflict between Iran and its western adversaries has echoes of a very long stretch of time in which Iran’s enemies underestimated its resilience.  Israel and Iran may trade rockets and drones, while Jewish tradition celebrates mythical stories of David and Solomon, but the religious practices and features centred on Jerusalem, together with the edited books of the Tanakh Hebrew Bible, owe their origin to the Persians. A minority of Iranians who mainly live in Europe and the US, rallied and made some noise in support of the Shah’s son the royal pretender Reza Pahlavi, to return to Iran and lead the nation. This was their dream. This will never happen. There may be some changes in the future, but I believe the royalists will never win. The minority who has been given platform by the mainstream media against the government of Iran are like Pauline Hanson who believes she will lead Australia. In my opinion this will not happen. The only reason she may look like she has a chance to win is because of mainstream media for giving her platform. Despite the optimism of the USA and its allies, Iran (Persia) has never been a land easy to defeat, crush or occupy.  The US and the West including Australia may wish to see the rule of the mullahs over the Iranian people gone, but western rockets, western warships and western hubris seem unlikely to reduce Iran to a dependency of the West or dramatically change the balance of power.  Despite claiming that they care about Iranian people, and that they want peace and prosperity for Iran, Western attackers are talking Rubbish. What they want is Iran’s wealth and its oil. The greatest irony came just days before the war. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testified before the Senate Banking Committee in February 2026: “What we have done is created a dollar shortage in the country. It came to a swift and grand culmination in December, when one of the largest banks in Iran went under. The central bank had to print money. The Iranian currency went into free fall. Inflation exploded, and hence we have seen the Iranian people out on the street.” Bessent said this as justification for the coming war. Three days later, his government began bombing the country whose suffering he had just catalogued. We understand that wars and militarism make us less safe rather than protect us, that they kill, injure and traumatise adults, children and infants, severely damage the natural environment, erode civil liberties, and drain our economies, siphoning resources from life-affirming activities. We need to commit to engage in building peace to end all war and preparations for war and to create a sustainable and just peace.

2. 

   11 Apr 2026

   Fuel vulnerability due to war, Australian subservience to USA not in our interest

   Bevan and Andrew discuss:Disruption oil supplies & misplaced fuel security priorities of successive governments exposed by US-Israeli war on Iran.470 service stations out of petrol and diesel as of 26 March 2026.Subsequent food price increases on horizon.Interest rate hikes to continue.Governments urging workers to work from home and use public transport to reduce consumption.Successive governments following USA line with regard to Australian security. Force Posture Agreement (2014) and AUKUS mean increased payments to USA from Australia and increased USA military presence and facilities on Australian soil.Discussion and explanation of Australian integration into USA aggressive war fighting.Implications of continuing to host USA spy-base Pine Gap including making Australia a target in USA wars.Strait of Hormuz matters addressed.Open letter from former Australian security specialists and former military officers published in Australian Financial Review stating Australia exposure to fossil fuels is a vulnerability (13th March 2026). Renewable energy transition presented as a desirable step to take in the interest of national security. Bevan and Andrew appear courtesy of Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN): https://ipan.org.au/

3. 

   7 Sept 2024

   8 Sept 2024 (Romina B Floyd K - CFMEU)

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