Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Listening Post (Al Jazeera)
Episode Title: Preemptive strike? The media and Israel’s attack on Iran
Date: June 14, 2025
Host: Listening Post Team
Guest: Negar Mortazavi (Host, The Iran Podcast)

Episode Overview

This episode explores the media framing of Israel’s large-scale military strikes on Iran, dissecting how "preemptive strike" language has permeated Western coverage. The discussion scrutinizes the legal implications of such framing, the roots of media bias, differences in Iranian and Western media landscapes, and the lack of transparency regarding Israel’s own nuclear capacities. Later segments cover the communication blackout in Gaza, ongoing military escalation in the West Bank, and the Trump administration’s militarized crackdown on protests in Los Angeles, all through the lens of media representation.

Israel’s Attack on Iran: Media Framing and International Law

(00:59–12:24)

Key Discussion Points:

• Narrative of a “Preemptive Strike”:

  • Israel and supportive media have characterized the strikes as “preemptive,” claiming they were thwarting imminent Iranian nuclear threats.
  • Multiple Western outlets reported this angle without questioning its legitimacy or providing attribution.
  • Negar Mortazavi: “Legal scholars are saying that this language actually means a lot in international law. And it's very deliberate when you launch a preemptive strike. Essentially you are attacking an enemy that was about to imminently attack you. So preventing an imminent attack. And you need to show proof for that imminent attack, which I don't think the Israelis have produced yet.” (03:18)

• Contradictions with Intelligence:

  • U.S. intelligence, up to the attack, did not believe Iran was weaponizing its nuclear program.
  • Negar Mortazavi: “This goes against the latest reporting of US intelligence which have said until very recently they don't think Iran is weaponizing its nuclear program or building nuclear bombs.” (03:58)

• Bias in Western Media:

  • Mortazavi observes structural bias; Western coverage often adopts Israeli government terminology, treating Israel’s justifications as facts rather than positions to be interrogated.
  • Quote: “…the media coverage that has been sort of leaning or in a way showing a bias toward the terminology that's coming from one side of this.” (04:29)

• Israeli Intelligence Video and the “Imminent Threat” Narrative:

  • Israeli military released a video presenting Iran’s nuclear advancements as “seconds away” from weaponization, heightening the perception of urgency.
  • Mortazavi challenges this view, distinguishing between uranium enrichment milestones and actual acquisition of nuclear weapons.
  • Negar Mortazavi: “…the way this is framed is that there was a split second in an imminent attack of a nuclear bomb about to be launched and that really isn't the case… Iran is still a signatory to the NPT, the Non Proliferation Treaty under the UN. It's still a member, it still collaborates with the UN nuclear watchdog…” (05:20)

• Longstanding Push for War:

  • Netanyahu’s administration has for two decades promoted military action against Iran.
  • Mortazavi: “He's been saying that Iran should be also another target. And he's been trying to push for the U.S. in fact, to do a similar scenario and go to war with Iran.” (06:38)

• Dehumanization and Demonization in Media:

  • Demonizing rhetoric about Iran and Iranians has eroded objective coverage and stoked fears that justify military aggression.
  • Mortazavi: “…the demonization, the dehumanization of Iran, Iran and Iranians, not just the government but also the population… has impacted media coverage… I think this has added sort of a fuel to this fire…” (07:05)

Media Ecosystems: Iranian vs. Western Outlets

(07:44–10:04)

Key Points:

• State Control in Iranian Media:

  • Iranian media, mostly state-controlled, reciprocates the demonization—referring to Israel as “the Zionist regime,” characterizing attacks as terrorism, and honoring military casualties as martyrs.
  • Mortazavi: “The demonization goes both ways. So the Iranian media also do cover these regional issues with a clear bias.” (08:03)

• Global Influence Disparity:

  • Iranian narratives rarely penetrate international discourse, in contrast to the U.S. and Israeli narratives which dominate global media.
  • Mortazavi: “…they really are the underdog when it comes to the military landscape, but also in the media landscape.” (09:25)

Coverage Gaps: Israel’s Nuclear Arsenal

(10:04–12:15)

Key Discussion:

• Media Silence on Israeli Nukes:

  • Israel possesses nuclear weapons, yet this fact is rarely mentioned in media coverage about Middle East nuclear proliferation.
  • Mortazavi: “Israel is the only country in the region who has a nuclear arsenal... if you ask an average American... they would think it's Iran... because of this bias that is embedded in the coverage.” (10:23)

• Consequences for Public Perception:

  • U.S. media’s failure to mention Israel’s arsenal upholds a strategic bias with tangible effects on public opinion and foreign policy.
  • Quote: “…media organizations need to address that… why the media goes on with that and sort of has this bias embedded really is a big question.” (11:34)

Gaza and the West Bank: Communications Blackout and Intensified Siege

(12:27–14:26)

Key Insights:

• Communications in Gaza Crippled:

  • Israel has bombed key telecom infrastructure, cutting off most phone and internet access. The last fiber optic link in central and southern Gaza was destroyed.
  • Journalists and the UN highlight the dangers: “For the people of Gaza, this choking off of communications has been one of the most persistent fears… what might Israeli forces do to Palestinians there under the cloak of a communications blackout?” (13:35–14:26)

• Intensifying Occupation:

  • Additional Israeli military forces deployed to the West Bank; all Palestinian towns placed under lockdown.
  • Aid stations in Gaza have become "killing fields," signaling the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis.

Los Angeles: Militarized Protest Crackdown and Media Coverage

(14:26–24:15)

Key Segments:

• Federal Militarization:

  • Trump’s administration responded to ICE protest unrest with mass deployments of National Guard and US Marines—without California’s approval.
  • The crackdown included overt displays of force and targeting of reporters.
  • Quote: “Do not come back, okay, gotta be arrested.” (18:24, unnamed analyst to journalist)

• Media’s Role in Shaping the Narrative:

  • Right-wing outlets brand immigrants as criminals, fueling polarized coverage.
  • Community media seek to humanize protestors, highlighting their desire to protect immigrant neighbors.

• Manufactured Crisis and Threats to Democracy:

  • Analysts identify the administration’s response as an escalation, warning of dangerous precedents:
  • Political Analyst 3: “Being undocumented in the US is not a crime. It's just a civil infraction. But by continuing to push this narrative, the Trump administration is justifying its program of mass deportations.” (21:38)

• Legal and Constitutional Concerns:

  • Deployment of federal troops nationwide threatens freedom of expression and further erodes rule of law.
  • Political Analyst 1: “…that basically gives him license to put troops into every single American city before anything's even happened. Now, whether Trump actually makes good on that, we'll see. But there's a reason why many legal scholars have point to this as brazenly, wildly unconstitutional.” (23:13)

Closing Reflections and Regional Context

(24:15–end)

• The episode closes by connecting current events—October 2023’s Hamas attacks, the destruction of Gaza, and the Israeli-Iranian escalation—as a series of interlinked escalations shaped and amplified by media framing.
• The host cautions that “the next few weeks will provide more pivotal political moments and, if recent history is any indication, plenty of questionable journalism.” (24:50)

Notable Quotes and Moments

• Negar Mortazavi on Media Bias:

  “It's not a preemptive strike. It's an attack on a sovereign land, on a sovereign nation, on the homeland of another country.” (04:29)

• On Israeli Nuclear Arsenal:

  “As a matter of policy, they don't acknowledge… but just because they don't acknowledge doesn't mean that that's not a known fact.” (10:23)

• On Militarization in LA:

  “He didn't just say, I'm going to deploy the National Guard in LA where the protests are happening. He said, I'm going to deploy the National Guard anywhere where there might be ICE protests.” (23:13)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Israel’s Attack & Media Framing: 00:59–12:24
• Gaza/West Bank Communications Blackout: 12:27–14:26
• LA Protests and Federal Crackdown: 14:26–24:15

Overall Tone & Style

The episode adopts an analytical, at times critical lens towards both the media’s role in shaping geopolitical narratives and government actions that impact freedom, democracy, and international law. It provides a platform for expert voices like Negar Mortazavi, seeking to challenge listeners’ assumptions and urge critical consumption of headlines and official narratives.