Deaths caused by Iranian authorities are attributed only through foreign rights groups and hedged, while deaths and suffering caused by US sanctions are stated as direct, unqualified fact.

How it builds, in Crackdown deaths versus sanctions hardship

Iranian deaths: attributed via foreign groups, not stated as fact
Authorities met the movement with a crackdown that foreign rights groups said killed thousands of people.
Claim attributed to external, qualified source; death toll not asserted by the article
Iranian government denial given equal billing
The government has attributed the violence to 'terrorist acts' orchestrated by the United States and Israel.
Counter-claim reported without qualification or challenge
Sanctions harm stated as direct, unqualified fact
Long queues formed at petrol stations in Tehran on Tuesday after the United States announced fresh sanctions aimed at pressuring Iran into submission.
Causal link between US action and civilian hardship asserted directly by the article
Civilian suffering from sanctions quoted without hedging
People are being hurt, both those who are financially well-off and those who are financially weak
Resident testimony on US-caused harm presented without qualification
Iranian executions stated as fact; US outrage foregrounded
Iran has carried out a spate of executions related to the winter protests, drawing outrage from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
Iranian action asserted directly; US reaction given prominence
Trump's unverified claim on killings quoted without attribution check
killing protesters, even when they are not protesting, at levels not seen before
Unverified political claim reproduced without independent verification or qualification

The same decision, both sides

Whether a death toll is stated as fact or attributed to a qualified external source

Deaths caused by US sanctions on Iranian civilians are stated as direct, observable fact by the article itself.

Long queues formed at petrol stations in Tehran on Tuesday after the United States announced fresh sanctions aimed at pressuring Iran into submission.

Deaths caused by Iranian authorities during the crackdown are not stated as fact but filtered through a qualified external source.

Authorities met the movement with a crackdown that foreign rights groups said killed thousands of people.

Whether the actor causing harm is named directly in the sentence

The United States is named directly as the actor whose announcement caused the queues and economic pressure on Iranians.

Long queues formed at petrol stations in Tehran on Tuesday after the United States announced fresh sanctions aimed at pressuring Iran into submission.

The Iranian authorities are named as the actor in the crackdown, but the death toll is immediately distanced through attribution to foreign rights groups.

Authorities met the movement with a crackdown that foreign rights groups said killed thousands of people.

Whether a counter-claim is offered to soften the allegation

No Iranian counter-claim is offered against the article's own assertion that sanctions caused queues and civilian hurt.

People are being hurt, both those who are financially well-off and those who are financially weak

An Iranian government counter-claim is reported immediately after the crackdown death toll, softening the allegation.

The government has attributed the violence to 'terrorist acts' orchestrated by the United States and Israel.

What a reader is left with. A reader is left with the impression that US-caused civilian suffering is a straightforward, verified reality, while Iranian-caused deaths remain an unconfirmed allegation from partisan foreign sources, even though both claims rest on similarly unverified evidence.

Every highlight is a quote the model flagged. Tap one — or a metric below — to see what it measures and why it scored the way it did.

Aggressor framingHeadline analysisSanctions framingLegal framing

Huge queues form for petrol in Tehran after US announced 'economic asphyxiation' sanctions on Iran

Long queues formed at petrol stations in Tehran on Tuesday after the United States announced fresh sanctions aimed at pressuring Iran into submission. Washington has turned to pulling economic levers six months into a war on Iran that has ground to a stalemate militarily, with peace talks stalled and most traffic through the crucial Strait of Hormuz blocked. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday laid out plans for the 'economic asphyxiation' of Iran, saying the 'objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime'. Though Iran's leaders have shrugged off the tough talk, having already endured sanctions for decades, some residents of the capital feared that they would feel the pinch. 'Naturally, sanctions affect people's lives. People are being hurt, both those who are financially well-off and those who are financially weak,' said realtor Mehdi Yazdian, 55, who urged the authorities to control prices. 'Yes, these sanctions are having an effect, but naturally, our people are resilient. These sanctions have been in place for 47 years.' Iran had already been grappling with sky-high inflation before the war, which fuelled an anti-government protest movement that peaked in January. Authorities met the movement with a crackdown that foreign rights groups said killed thousands of people. Video footage showed long queues forming in Tehran after the US announced fresh sanctions on Iran An Iranian fills up at a petrol station in Tehran, Iran, 25 August 2026 Drivers queue at a petrol station to refuel in Tehran, on August 25, 2026 The government has attributed the violence to 'terrorist acts' orchestrated by the United States and Israel. English teacher Kia Farahani, 45, said similar unrest could lie ahead. 'I personally am not afraid of war at all because this is our land,' she said. 'But I think that this war will be more economic and will cause people to feel a lot of pressure, and now maybe there will be protests again.' Iran has carried out a spate of executions related to the winter protests, drawing outrage from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. 'The failing Islamic Republic of Iran is not paying large segments of their military, while at the same time killing protesters, even when they are not protesting, at levels not seen before,' he wrote on Truth Social. 'It is a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions, and must be stopped, NOW.' Announcing the new sanctions, Bessent said countries that did not support the US economic campaign would 'share in the isolation' of Iran, adding Trump was making phone calls to world leaders asking that they halt interactions with Tehran. The Treasury Department said expanded secondary sanctions would target Iran's digital assets and its technology, gold, aviation and shipping sectors. It also issued new sanctions against 60 individuals, companies and vessels that allegedly aid Iran in oil revenue generation, weapons procurement and cyber operations. Though Iran's leaders have shrugged off the tough talk, having already endured sanctions for decades, some residents of the capital feared that they would feel the pinch Iran had already been grappling with sky-high inflation before the war, which fuelled an anti-government protest movement that peaked in January Queues of cars wait in a long line at the pump as the US tries to force Iran into submission The sanctions hit entities around the world, including in the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, China, Singapore and in Europe. China, a key customer for Iranian oil, said Tuesday that it opposed the sanctions and vowed to 'take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own rights and interests'. Bessent did not rule out the possibility of Chinese banks being targeted, and vowed that any entity 'that facilitates money laundering on behalf of Iran will be removed from the US dollar system'. Iran, however, was dismissive of the threat and predicted 'another defeat' for Washington. 'We've been waiting for these plans for a long time, and the government is and was ready and has a two-year plan to manage these events,' said Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh. Iran has weathered sanctions for decades, using complex international financial networks to evade restrictions. Saeed Laylaz, Tehran-based economic expert, told AFP that the new US measures were of a piece with Trump's so-called 'maximum pressure' approach, which he has pursued for years. China, a key customer for Iranian oil, said Tuesday that it opposed the sanctions Long queues formed at petrol stations in Tehran on Tuesday after the United States announced fresh sanctions aimed at pressuring Iran into submission 'In general, the United States of America has nothing that it can do that had not done before,' Laylaz said, noting years of isolation had made Iran's economy largely self-sufficient. 'But I have doubts about the internal governance of the Iranian economy and whether the government is fully capable or prepared to deal with Iran's internal issues, including, for example, fighting corruption, fighting bank imbalances, fighting inflation, (and enacting) timely financial, monetary and economic policies.'

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