{"id":2448,"date":"2025-06-23T09:22:14","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T15:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/?p=2448"},"modified":"2025-06-23T09:24:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T15:24:52","slug":"b-2-bombers-propaganda-and-the-risk-of-repeating-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/b-2-bombers-propaganda-and-the-risk-of-repeating-history\/","title":{"rendered":"B-2 Bombers, Propaganda, and the Risk of Repeating History"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes, June 23, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Saturday, June 21, the United States launched a direct attack on Iran. The operation involved B\u20112 Spirit bombers, capable of deploying high-precision munitions. The target \u2014 according to official reports \u2014 was to destroy facilities allegedly linked to Iran\u2019s nuclear weapons program.<\/p>\n

This action marks a turning point in contemporary geopolitics. Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the United States had not carried out a direct military intervention on Iranian soil. Over the past 45 years, it had employed tools such as diplomacy, economic sanctions, cyberattacks, and espionage \u2014 but not airstrikes of this magnitude. Following the attack, the U.S. press woke up in shock, as Trump made the decision unilaterally, without consulting Congress or coordinating with key allies.<\/p>\n

In terms of information flow, we are witnessing a different kind of conflict compared to those in earlier historical moments. Unlike the wars of the 20th century \u2014 when news took days or weeks to disseminate \u2014 we now watch airstrikes unfold live, followed immediately by reactions from President Trump, statements by Pete Hegseth (currently serving as Secretary of Defense), and responses from both the Iranian government and international diplomacy. This immediacy of information carries a significant risk: propaganda and disinformation are everywhere, flooding communication networks and spreading rapidly.<\/p>\n

To contextualize disinformation during wartime, one only needs to recall the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The George W. Bush administration claimed that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction \u2014 a claim later debunked \u2014 which served to justify a war with devastating consequences. Today, 22 years later, we are facing a similar scenario: an attack based on the supposed existence of a nuclear program in Iran. At the same time, the real extent of the damage caused by the U.S. offensive remains unknown.<\/p>\n

This does not mean Iran\u2019s nuclear program doesn\u2019t exist. This commentary aims to underscore that, in the past, wars have been initiated based on false premises and systematic propaganda campaigns. In light of this, it is crucial, as global citizens, to be especially careful with the information we consume. Ideally, we should rely on professional news outlets with verified data and rigorous fact-checking. Conversely, we should steer clear of internet rumors and influencers without recognized credentials.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s at stake is not just an armed conflict, but our very ability to understand and discuss it responsibly.<\/p>\n

\n

This piece was originally read on the NTR Radio news program broadcast on June 23, 2025, hosted by journalist Sergio Ren\u00e9 de Dios Corona.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes, June 23, 2025 On Saturday, June 21, the United States launched a direct attack on Iran. The operation involved B\u20112 Spirit bombers, capable of deploying high-precision munitions. The target \u2014 according to official reports \u2014 was to destroy facilities allegedly linked to Iran\u2019s nuclear weapons program. This action marks a turning point in contemporary geopolitics. Since… Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[371],"tags":[372],"class_list":["post-2448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-propaganda-2","tag-war-in-iran","xfolkentry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":821,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/elecciones-en-estados-unidos-comunicacion-politica-y-comunidades-latinas\/","url_meta":{"origin":2448,"position":0},"title":"2016 US Presidential Elections & Latino Communities","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"21 November, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Darren Lilleker, Daniel Jackson, Einar Thorsen y Anastasia Veneti edited a book about the 2016 United States Presidential Elections, with a particular emphasis on media and political communication. In this book, I published the article\u00a0\"A Bilingual Campaign: Clinton\u2019s Latino Political Communication.\" Here you can download the entire book, and here\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Doctoral Dissertation Project"","block_context":{"text":"Doctoral Dissertation Project","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/category\/doctoral-dissertation-project-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"US Elections","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Screen-Shot-2016-11-20-at-5.18.09-PM.png?fit=849%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Screen-Shot-2016-11-20-at-5.18.09-PM.png?fit=849%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Screen-Shot-2016-11-20-at-5.18.09-PM.png?fit=849%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Screen-Shot-2016-11-20-at-5.18.09-PM.png?fit=849%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2883,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/the-concept-of-power-after-tapalpa\/","url_meta":{"origin":2448,"position":1},"title":"The Concept of Power After Tapalpa","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"23 February, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Juan Larrosa Today I had planned to speak about measles. However, it is impossible not to turn our attention to what has occurred in the country over the last 48 hours following the arrest of \"El Mencho,\" leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most powerful\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Propaganda"","block_context":{"text":"Propaganda","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/category\/propaganda-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":817,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/elecciones-en-estados-unidos-comunicacion-politica-y-comunidades-latinas\/","url_meta":{"origin":2448,"position":2},"title":"Elecciones en Estados Unidos, comunicaci\u00f3n pol\u00edtica y comunidades latinas","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"21 November, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Unas semanas antes de que concluyeran las campa\u00f1as electorales en Estados Unidos, Darren Lilleker, Daniel Jackson, Einar Thorsen y Anastasia Veneti, acad\u00e9micos expertos en comunicaci\u00f3n pol\u00edtica, abrieron una convocatoria mundial para crear un libro en el que investigadores de todo el mundo pudieran publicar sus primeras impresiones sobre este proceso\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Comunicaci\u00f3n Pol\u00edtica"","block_context":{"text":"Comunicaci\u00f3n Pol\u00edtica","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/category\/comunicacion-politica\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"US Election Analysis 2016: Media, Voters and the Campaign. Early reflections from leading academics","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Screen-Shot-2016-11-20-at-5.18.09-PM.png?fit=849%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Screen-Shot-2016-11-20-at-5.18.09-PM.png?fit=849%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Screen-Shot-2016-11-20-at-5.18.09-PM.png?fit=849%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Screen-Shot-2016-11-20-at-5.18.09-PM.png?fit=849%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2420,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/migration-discourse-and-violence-what-is-happening-in-los-angeles\/","url_meta":{"origin":2448,"position":3},"title":"Migration, discourse, and violence: what is happening in Los Angeles?","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"9 June, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Juan Larrosa, June 9, 2025 \u00a0 Migration from Latin America to the United States has long been a central issue, at least over the past fifty years\u2014a period marked by significant commercial, labor, and cultural exchange between the U.S., Mexico, and the rest of the region. An asymmetric relationship\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Human Rights"","block_context":{"text":"Human Rights","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/category\/human-rights\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2902,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/the-communicational-power-of-cartels\/","url_meta":{"origin":2448,"position":4},"title":"The Communicational Power of Cartels","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"9 March, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Juan Larrosa, March 9, 2026 Two weeks after #22F in Guadalajara, there is still much to analyze. In recent times, it has been said\u2014rightly so\u2014that criminal cartels have developed a high level of sophistication in their capacity for force and violence: they possess weaponry comparable to, and sometimes more\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Political Communication"","block_context":{"text":"Political Communication","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/category\/political-communication\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2469,"url":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/narcocorridos-as-a-form-of-propaganda\/","url_meta":{"origin":2448,"position":5},"title":"Narcocorridos as a Form of Propaganda","author":"Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes","date":"8 July, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Juan Larrosa, July 7, 2025 The debate around narcocorridos has been present in the media, opinion columns, and policymaking forums. This raises many questions. Two seem especially relevant to me: What exactly are narcocorridos? And should the State regulate or even ban them? Here, I propose approaching the issue\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Political Communication"","block_context":{"text":"Political Communication","link":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/category\/political-communication\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4Hsnc-Du","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2448"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2449,"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2448\/revisions\/2449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juan-larrosa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}