Welcome to the Empire Files podcast. This is your host, Abby Martin. This is the audio of our show.

You can watch the episodes on our YouTube channel or at the Empirefiles.tv.

The last week has seen dramatic U.S. escalations against Iran, setting the stage for the

most dangerous war footing between the two countries for decades. We all watched in horror

the chain of events. The predictable death of an American contractor. Illegal U.S.

airstrikes killing 25 Iraqis in response. the mass protest at the U.S. Embassy.

Then came the audacious and criminal assassination of General Soleimani as he arrived

at the Baghdad airport for peace negotiations, followed by a calculated and de-escalatory

Iranian response that avoided killing any Americans.

We also saw thousands of Americans come out into the streets

in nearly 100 cities and towns to protest the path to war.

Things have seemingly de-escalated for now,

but the threat of full-scale war still looms

under an administration run by impulsive war-hungry extremists.

Trump has promised to increase sanctions, deployed tens of thousands more military personnel,

and has sent nuclear-armed aircraft to patrol the region.

This perilous game is nothing new.

In fact, the U.S. has been waging war against Iran for nearly 70 years

in the forms of coups, assassinations, and deadly sanctions.

The events of last week should serve as a wake-up call

for how quickly the Pentagon could trigger the devastating war we all fear. To counter the war propaganda and get the

crucial context of U.S. Iran tensions, I sat down with journalist and human rights attorney Dan

...