we are navigants.

collections and observations: headlines about Israeli military action

and the art of english language buttressing: three right turns still makes a left.

On the ground: reports of explosions in Isfahan, Iran. Iranian air defence system activated, shot down three small drones. Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani reports that US told G7 ministers that Israel had given the US information moments before attack. Israel has not officially commented.

Notable is how the western outlets are committed to covering the event as a simple narrative of perpetrator and victim; the fact is that Israel executed concerted military action against Iran. Western headlines are preoccupied with a perpetrator-victim paradigm, tip-toeing on eggshell to ensure the pointed finger of blame only ever goes one direction. At least in America, this self-ascribed moral code requires some proprietary GPS app that forbids left turns, because any deviation from the calculated route alerts all nearby drivers of a reported anti-semite ahead.

By and large, the rest of the international english language news just takes the damn right turn.

Ordered by descending neutrality, some collected headlines published in the hours after the event, 19 April 2024.

United States

Associated Press

“Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear strike”

Canada

Bowen Island Undercurrent

“Iran fires at apparent Israeli drones near airbase”

Ireland & UK

Yahoo!

“Bibi just flat out ignored Biden’s warning not to bomb Iran”

United States

Reuters

“Israeli ‘aggression’ on Iran is an escalation against the region, Hamas official says”

United States

Daily Beast

“Iran’s state TV laughs off Israel’s retaliation attack”

United States

Fox News

“Israel carries out retaliatory strike in Iran: ‘This is about restoring deterrence for Israel’”

Ireland

The Irish News

“Israel ‘gave US last-minute warning about drone attack on Iran'”

Iraq

Shafaq News

“Tehran plays down reported Israeli attacks, signals no retaliation”

Ukraine

The New Voices of Ukraine

“Israel targets Iran on Ayatollah’s birthday, Tehran weighs response options”

Israel

The Times of Israel

“Iran says no retaliation planned, as both sides seek distance from Isfahan attack”

Nigeria

The Daily Trust

“‘Poor Little Israel’, Fani-Kayode reacts to retaliatory attack on Iran”

India

The Week

“The Israeli attack that wasn’t: The danger of rumours sparking off nuclear war is real”

France

France 24

‘War is destructive’: Iranians react after reported Israeli Strike”

Israel

Jerusalem Post

“Blinken: US not involved in Iranian strike, seeks de-escalation”

Turkey

TRT World

“No accountability, no reasonable statement from Iran or Israel: Erdogan

Turkey

Andalou Agency

“G7 reiterates its calls for ‘maximum restraint’ after reported Israeli strike”

Uruguay

Mercopress

“Conflict in Middle East could escalate after latest Israeli attacks”

Qatar, International

Al Jazeera

“World urges ‘de-escalation’ after drones shot down over Iran”

Indonesia

Jakarta Globe

“What we know so far about Israel’s aerial attacks near Iran”

UK

Sky News

“How did Israel attack Iran?”