THE biased reporting of Britain’s mainstream media has been displayed, again, by the publicity given to the tearing down of the flag at Iran’s London embassy, while the emergency “No to Trump’s War on Venezuela” demonstration on the same day passed almost unnoticed.

As reported in our weekend edition, Codir, the Committee for the Defence of the Iranian People’s Rights, is calling on all its affiliates and the British government to show support for the protesters inside Iran, in the face of the dictatorial actions of the regime, while opposing any foreign intervention.

Publicity for the flag removal does nothing to aid those protesters, since it was substituted by the flag of the still-hated regime of the Shah, deposed in 1979. But, along with the promotion of unverified reports from inside Iran, it helps to contribute to an atmosphere which could lead to Western military attacks.

Posting on X on Saturday, right-wing US Senator Lindsey Graham wrote an appeal to the people of Iran: “Your long nightmare will soon be over. Your courage and determination to end your oppression have been recognised by Trump and all who love freedom.”

Earlier, Trump had threatened to deliver a “strong blow” to Iran if the country’s authorities killed protesters.  On his Truth Social platform, he wrote “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, like never before. The US stands ready to help!!!”

According to the New York Times, Trump has been briefed in recent days on several attack options, including strikes on non-military targets in Iran — which means on leading government officials. That will inevitably mean Iranian retaliation and a wider war.

It is clear that Trump feels buoyed up by the lack of criticism from Western governments of the US assault on Venezuela. This appeasement is enabling him to up the ante over Iran and to double down on his plans for the US to “own” Greenland.

The objective in Iran is not the promotion of “freedom,” except for Israel to continue its ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians, and for big US oil companies to have access to Iran’s oil reserves.

On Greenland, he said: “Right now, we are going to do something … whether they like it or not, because if we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland. And we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour.”

That’s simply ridiculous. Neither Russia nor China will do that. Furthermore, if the US occupies Greenland, that makes Russia a neighbour. But it’s already a neighbour, two-and-a-half miles across the Bering Strait from Alaska.

The real reasons are, firstly, US access to Greenland’s mineral wealth, then the ability to position missiles, for a first strike, much closer to Russian military facilities in the Arctic, and finally the ability to block China’s trade access to Europe through the emerging maritime Northeast Passage.

Speakers at the “No to Trump’s War on Venezuela” demonstration were absolutely right to demand that Keir Starmer condemn the US actions. And that will not be the end of it. Pressure must be brought to bear on MPs to force the government to change course.

If not, where will the US stop? Already, Trump has urged Cuba to “make a deal” or face consequences, warning that “Cuba lived, for many years on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela” in return for providing security services for the Venezuelan “dictators.”

He did not say what that deal might be, but he shared a social media post suggesting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio could become Cuban president with the comment, “Sounds good to me.”

Cuba may be able to get oil elsewhere, but at a price. It urgently needs our solidarity. On January 5, Keir Starmer refused to condemn potential US military action against Cuba. He must be forced to change course, as demanded by Cuba all-party parliamentary group.