Now we know what the Americans mean by “self-defence”. Actually we have always known that. Except with the war on Iran, they don’t bother with making plausible propaganda any more and just dare you to challenge their ridiculous claims.

In this, they have learned well from their Israeli partner-in-crime, according to whom every person killed, however young, is by definition a terrorist. Every facility bombed, even if it’s a hospital or school, is either a terrorist cell or has one hiding in or under it. And every attack is retaliation and/or self-defence.

Of course, such propaganda would be laughable within normal human communication, among people with common sense. But that’s not how it is when you have demonised peoples like the Iranians and the Palestinians for so long to a thoroughly propagandised domestic audience.

So, for example, Iran last week downed a US Army Apache helicopter over Gulf waters. Since it is still at war with the US, that seems fair game. What did the US military do?

According to a Pentagon press statement: “US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began launching self-defence strikes against Iran at 5 pm ET today at the Commander in Chief’s direction, in response to yesterday’s downing of a US Army Apache helicopter. The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression.”

Though halfway across the globe and right at Iran’s doorstep, America still claimed “self-defence” by targeting, among others, two reservoirs supplying water to about 20,000 residents in the Bemani and Kouhestak areas of the southern port town of Sirik.