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President Trump has reportedly been briefed in recent days on a range of military strike options against Iran as he weighs whether to follow through on his promise to punish Tehran for a brutal crackdown on nationwide protests. Multiple U.S. outlets reporting on the briefing made clear no final decision has been taken, but the president is being presented with scenarios that range from targeted strikes on security-service facilities to options that could reach into Tehran itself.
Americans watching the chaos in Iran should be clear-eyed: these protests started over collapsing living standards and turned into a direct challenge to theocratic rule, and the regime has answered with lethal force and a near-total internet blackout. The pictures flooding out — hospitals overwhelmed, protesters shot in the head, and mass arrests — show a regime that deserves global condemnation, not hand-wringing and appeasement.
At the same time, Washington has not been idle on terrorism: U.S. forces struck dozens of ISIS targets in Syria after the cold-blooded ambush that claimed the lives of two Iowa National Guard soldiers and a civilian interpreter. President Trump’s vow to mete out “very serious retaliation” is exactly the kind of decisive leadership our troops and allies expect when American blood is spilled overseas.
Retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward, a career warrior who knows the stakes, has echoed the administration’s posture — urging robust action against terror networks in Syria and advocating tangible support for Iranians fighting for freedom, including practical measures like expanding secure VPN access. Veterans and national-security professionals like Harward understand that deterrence is earned, not begged for; showing resolve now prevents far larger conflicts later.
Critics who demand we “wait” or fear that firmness will provoke escalation are forgetting the lesson of weakness: when America retreats, bad actors fill the vacuum. President Trump’s calculations are about protecting American lives, backing allies, and denying terrorists safe havens; that is the very definition of putting America first rather than ceding the initiative to Iran’s clerics and their proxies.
Make no mistake, Tehran’s leadership has threatened retaliation and tried to paint any U.S. support for protesters as foreign meddling — predictable bluster from a cornered regime. The regime’s threats to strike Israel and American bases if attacked are serious, but they do not absolve Tehran of responsibility for murdering its own people or for the regional chaos it sponsors. The choice is between standing with liberty or siding with tyranny.
Now is the moment for patriots to stand with our troops and with the brave Iranians in the streets demanding freedom. Congress should back the commander-in-chief with clear authority and resources to protect Americans and punish terrorism, and the press should stop equating caution with cowardice. If America shows resolve, our adversaries will think twice — and the men and women in uniform who give everything for this country will know we have their backs.
