Twelve days into the war with Iran, The New York Times is gradually coming to acknowledge that the war has not been a one-way affair. For twelve days, the Times has covered the war as though the US and Israel have had free rein to attack Iran, but as though Iran itself had been a passive recipient of the shock and awe campaign inflicted on it. Now all of a sudden, we get four major articles within 24 hours telling us otherwise:

• “How Trump and His Advisers Miscalculated Iran’s Response to the War”;
• “At Least 17 US Sites Damaged in War with Iran, Analysis Shows”;
• “Iranian Military Shows It Knows How to Adapt, US Officials Say”;
• “At least 3 ships are struck in and around the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran claims responsibility for one”;

Better late than never, but still pretty late to be telling your audience that the other side had not just managed to retaliate over the last two weeks, but had inflicted a fair bit of unexpected damage, and promises more. Continue reading →