LOS ANGELES.–After watching its key nuke sites struck last night at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan, Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei must decide how far he’s willing to go to get back at Israel and President Donald Trump. Khamenei has been threatening the U.S. saying any strike on Iran would result in irreparable harm to the U.S. “The Americans must receive a response to their aggression,” Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian told French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron has no comment because he generally agrees with Trump’s actions to neutralize a potential nuclear threat to Israel and U.S. interests. Macron knows the history of 1979 Islamic Revolution where Iranian military seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 54 hostages, holding them 444 days until President Ronald Reagan was inaugurated Jan. 20, 1981. So, the bad blood between the U.S. and Iran goes way back.
Ayatollah Khamenei isn’t quite sure how to retaliate with a degraded military, leaving his airspace vulnerable to more U.S. attacks. Trump warned the Ayatollah than any retaliation to U.S. assets would result in a far greater response from the U.S., meaning that regime sites in Tehran and elsewhere would be struck. Iranian officials threaten to close the Strait of Hormuz where some 20-25% of the world’s crude oil travels. Yemen-based Houthi rebels threatened to attack American flagged ships in the Red Sea. Houthi rebels made a deal with Trump months ago to stop attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea after the Pentagon hit the Saana Houthi government hard. Closing the Strait of Hormuz would be met by a response a decisive response by U.S. forces with assets in place in the Mediterranean and bases all over the Middle East to stop the blockade.
Iran said the most of the fissile material was removed from Fordo before the U.S. strike and taken to secret destinations. “The Iranian nation is not one to surrender. Americans should know that any military involvement by the U.S. will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage to them,” Ayatollah said. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who participated in five rounds of nuke talks, said that Iran “reserves all right to defend its security, in interests and its people,” saying he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. Araghchi said Americans had “blown up diplomacy,” with his country now at war. Iran’s parliament approved a measure to close the strait of Hormuz. Whatever the parliament approves, all decision are left to the Ayatollah. “I think it ends up being worse for the Iranians that for anyone else,” said Andrew Borene, former U.S. counterintelligence official.
Ayatollah and his inner circle don’t know what’s about to hit them if they attack any American troops or personnel. Trump carried through with his attack on Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan but now U.S. targeting would go to the heart to the Iranian regime. Ayatollah has been humiliated by Trump and looks to save face with other rogue regimes around the globe. “There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater that we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all by far, and perhaps the most lethal. I can report to the world that the strikes were spectacular military success. Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have beem completely and totally obliterated,” Trump said. Trump has not received all the bomb damage assessment but has inside information from the Pentagon.
Saving face in the hallmark of Mideast dictators who grossly exaggerate military prowess to stave off enemies, the exact thing that Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein did before the Iraq War when he refused to grant access to U.N. weapons inspections. Had Saddam granted access to nuclear sites to former IAEA Director-General Hans Blix, he might has spared his life. But no Saddam was a proud dictator just like Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, not admitting that his he lacks any real military capable of competing with a disciplined military like Israel or the U.S. Ayatollah put all his eggs into ballistic missiles allowing Israeli and U.S. air forces to pick their targets and drop their bombs. Iran’s state controlled media refuses to accurately admit the damage to all of Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites. Any military analysis now shows massive damage to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capability.
Trump’s decision to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites involve months of failed talks that were not leading to any real diplomacy. So, the Ayatollah found out what happens when you string Trump along without any results. Trump’s decision has fallen on party lines of course with today’s politicized U.S. government. Now is not the time for partisan Democrats to call for Trump’s impeachment over an intervention which was completely in line with the Article 2 powers to protect U.S. foreign policy and national security. Democrats slamming Trump sound no different that Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Cane or Venezuelan Dictator Nicloas Maduro. If you listenedd to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) rant today you’d think she was seeking revolution. Trump was elected president Nov. 5, 2024 and is entitled to make key decisions on foreign policy and national security.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
