In this latest update from The New Atlas, Brian Berletic breaks down how the US continues airstrikes on Iran even amid reported ceasefires and diplomatic talks under President Trump. He argues that Western media spin portrays these negotiations as efforts to end conflict, but in reality, the US is using "diplomacy" as a tool to weaken Iran, maintain regional instability, disrupt energy exports to China and Asia, and prevent a full economic collapse while increasing dependence on US energy—mirroring long-standing strategies seen in policy papers like RAND's "Extending Russia" and Brookings' "Which Path to Persia." Berletic emphasizes this is part of a broader geopolitical game to manage tensions just below the threshold of all-out war.
