Daily Express · Iran · 20 Aug 2026

Passive voice hides who attacked, the ceasefire blame is one-sided, and the civilian cost of sanctions is ignored.

/ 10 · article score

scored on 6 of 11 measures

The double standard

The article attributes Iran's military destruction to no named actor while clearly naming the US and Israel as the parties who launched strikes, then frames Iran's response as aggression while presenting the prior coordinated attack as a neutral background fact.

How it builds, in Background paragraph on the February 28 strikes and Iran's response

Iranian losses stated with no actor named
Their navy is gone, their air force is destroyed, their military factories are now rubble, their currency is worthless, and their country is hanging by a thread.
Agentless passive or stative construction: destruction presented as a condition, not an act
US/Israel named as actors in their own strike
The US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on a number of key Iranian targets on February 28.
Active voice with named agents: who did what is stated plainly
Iran named as aggressor in its response
Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz waterway and launching attacks on US allies throughout the Middle East.
Active voice with named agent: Iran's action framed as the initiating aggression in the narrative
Trump's rhetoric reproduced without qualification
These maniacs are on the ropes, and these HISTORIC MEASURES will cripple them and their ability to project terror worldwide.
Unattributed characterisation: 'maniacs' and 'terror' presented inside a quote but without editorial distance or counter-voice

The same decision, both sides

Attribution of agency for military destruction

The US and Israel are named in active voice as the parties who destroyed Iranian military assets.

The US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on a number of key Iranian targets on February 28.

Iran's resulting losses are described in stative constructions with no actor, making the destruction appear to have no author.

Their navy is gone, their air force is destroyed, their military factories are now rubble

Framing of military action as aggression versus response

The US-Israel strike is framed as a neutral background fact, described with the colourless verb 'launched' and no evaluative language.

The US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on a number of key Iranian targets on February 28.

Iran's subsequent action is framed as an aggressive response that harmed third parties, foregrounding its consequences for US allies.

Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz waterway and launching attacks on US allies throughout the Middle East.

What a reader is left with. A reader is left with the impression that Iran is an unprovoked aggressor whose military weakness is simply its current condition, while the US and Israel's role in producing that condition is grammatically erased and morally neutralised.

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 analysisCeasefire framingSanctions framing

Donald Trump declares 'economic D-Day' against Iran as allies threatened with sanctions

Donald Trump declares 'economic D-Day' against Iran as allies threatened with sanctions US President Donald Trump has announced "economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale" against Iran Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Tannur Anders 02:50, Thu, Aug 20, 2026 Updated: 03:17, Thu, Aug 20, 2026 US President Donald Trump (Image: Getty) US President Donald Trump has declared what he has described as "economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale ". In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, August 19, he wrote: "No one has given the Islamic Republic of Iran a greater opportunity to make a Deal than me. TRAGICALLY, for them, they have failed to take it. Therefore, today, I am announcing the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY!". Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Get the latest news from around the world and more Subscribe Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy "This will be Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale. Their navy is gone, their air force is destroyed, their military factories are now rubble, their currency is worthless, and their country is hanging by a thread." Trump breaks silence on NATO summit 'decoy plane' after bombshell video emerges Iran unveils new missile capabilities as Strait of Hormuz stays closed The US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on a number of key Iranian targets on February 28. Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz waterway and launching attacks on US allies throughout the Middle East. Washington and Tehran have undergone several rounds of unsuccessful negotiations regarding the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's nuclear weapon capabilities and an end to the conflict, and it appears Trump has now opted for an aggressive economic approach in his campaign against the Islamic Republic. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT "Today, I am also announcing that ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences," he wrote. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT The Strait of Hormuz has been a contention point in the war (Image: Getty) "Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies - It all needs to stop NOW. You know who you are. "This will be an ECONOMIC D-DAY, and we need all of our Allies to stand with the United States of America to isolate, and defeat, the Iran threat. "These maniacs are on the ropes, and these HISTORIC MEASURES will cripple them and their ability to project terror worldwide. "IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON." Donald Trump Iran Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments

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