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OPINION – Over the years, Iran has been responsible for killing hundreds of Americans and, most recently, for the killing of thousands of Iranians. After years of futile negotiations, the U.S. – and Israel -- attacked Iran on February 28, 2026.
U. S. courts and the Intelligence Community had assessed that Iran trained, supported and approved terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of Americans and foreign nationals.
In April 1983, a suicide truck bomb destroyed the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people, including 17 Americans. In October 1983, two suicide truck bombs struck the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 Americans and 58 French paratroopers. This is one of the deadliest terrorist attacks against U.S. forces. U.S. investigations concluded that Hezbollah, backed by Iran, were responsible.
In January 1984, the U.S. Department of State designated Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism, resulting in sanctions and a ban on defense exports and sales.
In June 1996, a massive truck bomb hit U.S. Air Force housing in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 19 U.S. service members, with hundreds injured. The U.S. said Iranian officials inspired, supported, and supervised the attackers, with a U.S. federal court ruling in 2006 that Iran financed and directed the attack and owed damages to the victims. Evidence cited the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as the organization that trained, funded, and provided explosive training to the perpetrators.
These are a few of the more prominent cases of terrorism perpetrated against the U.S. by the government of Iran. Indeed, war as a tragic necessity could have been declared after any of these bombings, to check Iran’s savagery and suffering of the innocent.
The government of Iran brutally killed Iranian protesters in 2009, 2022 and 2026.
The 2009 Iranian election protests (the Green Movement) range from dozens to over 100 killed, with many more missing or arrested. The security forces and the Basij paramilitaries brutally cracked down on demonstrations following the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, despite widespread support to opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi.
And in September 2022, Jina Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian died in police custody, after being arrested for improperly wearing her head scarf. Eyewitnesses reported that she was severely beaten and died due to police brutality. This sparked mass protests, resulting in the killing of at least 476 Iranians, according to Iran Human Rights.
Amini’s death gave rise to the global “Women Life Freedom” movement in Iran.
And in February 2026, over 30,000 Iranians reportedly were killed protesting for an end to clerical rule in Iran, driven by a severe economic collapse – inflation and currency devaluation -- and widespread state repression. The IRGC and Basij reportedly took the lead in brutally responding to these demonstrations.
Since 1979, this is the Iran we have been dealing with. A state sponsor of terrorism that has killed hundreds of Americans – and others – and thousands of Iranians. An Iran that had an active nuclear weapons program until 2003, and since then has been enriching uranium at 20% or 60% purity, weeks away from the 90% purity needed for nuclear weapons. The June 2026 bombing of their nuclear sites at Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan had set their nuclear program back a few years. However, these and other nuclear sites were being reconstituted prior to the current U.S. and Israeli bombing of Iran.
And Iran’s short-range and medium-range ballistic missile programs were concerning, given their impressive capabilities – solid fuel propulsion, enhanced guidance and counter defenses with hypersonic capabilities. Progress on a long-range ballistic missile, capable of targeting Europe and the U.S. was a likely goal of Iran’s leadership.
Hopefully, the new leadership in Iran will eschew terrorism and cease supporting Lebanese Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthi movement, Hamas and various Iraqi/Syrian militias. This would result in the lifting of international sanctions and the removal of Iran’s pariah status in the international community. The millions of dollars Iran has spent on its nuclear and missile programs should go to repairing its battered economy and providing a better life to the people of Iran.
Pope Leo XIV had expressed “deep concern” regarding the war with Iran and urged an end to the “spiral of violence”, advocating for “diplomacy to regain is role to prevent wider tragedy.” Indeed, this is a time for Pope Leo XIV to help negotiate an end to the war in Iran and help to convince the new leadership in Iran that they must protect and care for its people. Supporting international terrorism and building weapons of mass destruction are threats to regional and international stability.
The author is a former associate director of national intelligence. All statements of fact, opinion or analysis expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official positions or views of the U.S. government. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying U.S. government authentication of information or endorsement of the author’s views.
This article was originally published by The Washington Times and is republished here with permission.
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