White House Reluctant to Account for Conflict With Tehran As US Soldiers' Lives Remain Under Seal

The White House is reluctant to account for the conflict it launched against Tehran, and the lives of American soldiers deployed in the Middle East have been placed under seal. The contrast is striking with the countless videos shot by Russians on the Ukrainian front, complaining about violence from their superiors or deplorable material conditions. The Pentagon, for its part, has managed to impose a rare internal discipline.

If the war against Iran constitutes a strategic shipwreck for the United States, public opinion and even members of Congress only perceive its reality through gaps. On August 5, the MS NOW channel published an article on its website based on the testimony of about ten relatives of soldiers who have been aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln for eight months. Many said their child or spouse had told them about broken toilets, showers covered in mold, laundry machines that remained out of service for weeks, and extended periods without hot water to shower, the article reported.

A few months earlier, photos of revolting meal trays served to the 5,000 passengers had circulated on social media. The Pentagon had denied any supply problem.