LIZ PEEK: Trump is putting America first by backing Iran into a corner

As Iran teeters connected the brink of revolution, the imaginable dethroning of the globe’s astir malignant sponsor of panic would beryllium different monolithic shake-up successful the satellite bid – 1 that would payment the United States and her allies and for which President Donald Trump tin instrumentality overmuch credit.  

If Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is forced to fly Tehran, and a caller authorities yet takes his place, the radical of Iran volition convey Trump. Already they are renaming streets successful his honor, and rightly so; his persistent unit connected the theocratic authorities implicit galore years has weakened them and their proxies.  

Trump has threatened to retaliate if the mullahs sprout protesters and implicit the play said the United States "stands acceptable to help"; without a uncertainty they instrumentality his threats seriously. By successfully bombing their atomic facilities successful August, helium showed yet again that helium is unafraid of utilizing American power. He besides demonstrated the bonzer capableness of the U.S. military, a lethal competence besides precocious displayed successful extracting Venezuela dictator Nicolas Maduro. 

Last June, during the 12-day warfare betwixt Israel and Iran, Trump said, "We cognize precisely wherever the alleged 'Supreme Leader' is hiding." He added, He is an casual target, but is harmless there. We are not going to instrumentality him retired [kill], astatine slightest not for now. But we don't privation missiles changeable astatine civilians, oregon American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin."

TRUMP SAYS US WILL INTERVENE IF IRAN STARTS KILLING PROTESTERS: ‘LOCKED AND LOADED’

Iranians stitchery portion blocking a thoroughfare during a protestation successful Tehran, Iran, connected Jan. 9, 2026. (MAHSA / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

From the dependable of it, the president’s patience is wearing bladed again. Though the authorities person unopen down astir communications and the internet, connection has leaked retired that immoderate 500 protesters person been killed and much than 10,000 imprisoned. Some assertion the numbers are adjacent higher. 

It was not the archetypal clip Trump has battled the theocracy. In 2020, helium ordered the assassination by drone of Major General Qassem Soleimani, caput of the almighty Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. Suleimani was responsible, arsenic the New York Times reported astatine the time, for "nearly each important cognition by Iranian quality and subject forces implicit the past 2 decades, and his death was a staggering stroke for Iran at a clip of sweeping geopolitical conflict."  

Suleimani, who devised lethal IED warfare against U.S. GIs successful the Middle East and elsewhere, had the humor of countless Americans connected his hands. Khamenei vowed vengeance and the portion prepared for retaliation, but small came. The mullahs feared confronting Trump.

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Trump has besides steadfastly supported Israel, successful particular, backing their assertive confrontation with Iran’s proxy Hamas successful retaliation for the panic group’s brutal Oct. 7 attacks. While his predecessor, President Joe Biden, pledged "unwavering" enactment for Israel, waver helium did nether withering attacks from pro-Palestinian Democrats.  

During his 2024 State of the Union Address, Biden denounced Israel’s pursuit of Hamas successful Gaza. He besides levied sanctions connected Israeli settlers successful the West Bank and weighed sanctioning IDF units for suspected quality rights violations. In addition, helium refused to springiness Israel the 2,000-pound bombs they wanted to destruct tunnels and facilities utilized by Hamas. Finally, during his past twelvemonth successful office, Biden explicitly stated helium would not enactment an IDF onslaught connected Iranian atomic sites adjacent arsenic Tehran carried retired a rocket onslaught connected Israel, ceding U.S. authorization to a coordinated G7 effect instead. 

In June 2025, Israel launched what Trump called the 12-day war, bombing Iranian subject and atomic sites. Trump supported the engagement; partnering with Jordan, the U.S. helped support Israel from Iranian retaliation.

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Hamas was not the lone Iranian proxy hammered by Trump. Early successful his 2nd word Trump ordered stepped-up airstrikes against Houthi rebels successful Yemen, successful effect to their attacks connected commercialized and naval shipping successful the Red Sea. Incredibly, Biden had removed the "terrorist" designation that Trump had fixed the Houthis; Trump enactment it back. ` 

Hezbollah, too, has travel nether onslaught from Trump, which whitethorn intensify successful coming days. The Lebanese panic radical is reportedly connected the crushed successful Iran helping to suppress protests, which puts them successful the crosshairs.  

After gathering with Trump astatine the White House successful December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told officials successful his authorities that the U.S. president gave him a "green light" to motorboat an onslaught successful Lebanon, according to Israeli reporting. Trump evidently agreed that dismantling the panic radical was important, but reportedly asked Netanyahu to hold until U.S. negotiations with Lebanon were concluded.

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In coming days, the destiny of the Iranian authorities volition go clear. It the mullahs decamp and a pro-western medication emerges, the full world, and particularly occidental nations, Israel and the Gulf Arab states volition beryllium amended off. From his archetypal years successful office, President Trump helped facilitate this concatenation of events, initially by leveling terrible sanctions connected Tehran’s lipid manufacture that caused its exports and revenues to shrink. 

During Trump’s archetypal term, Iran’s overseas currency reserves plummeted from a precocious of $122 cardinal to $18 billion; Joe Biden took his ft disconnected the brake, allowing Tehran to rebuild its lipid exports (from little than fractional a cardinal barrels per time to much than 1.5 cardinal b/d) and its reserves. Biden besides approved the transportation of $6 cardinal to Tehran, successful speech for a captive swap, giving the mullahs adjacent much wealth to money their panic allies.

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Joe Biden’s coddling of Iran was 1 of the worst overseas argumentation disasters of the past 4 years, confirming erstwhile Secretary of Defense Bob Gates’ pronouncement that Biden had been incorrect connected each overseas argumentation and nationalist information contented of the past 40 years.  

Thankfully, Trump is clear-eyed astir America’s interests successful the Middle East. In 2023, Biden famously said, successful a uncommon Oval Office address, "American enactment is what holds the satellite together." Yes, it does, and nether President Trump we person seen an bonzer wielding of U.S. powerfulness successful defence of our allies, portion always, without exception, putting America first. 

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