At least 116 people have been reported killed in the nationwide protests shaking Iran, according to rights groups trying to piece together facts while the regime clamps down and cuts off communications. Videos and eyewitness accounts — what little of them make it out of the country — paint a gruesome picture of overwhelmed hospitals and morgues as security forces answer crowds with live rounds and brutal tactics. This isn’t civil unrest; it is a theocracy lashing out to cling to power while the world watches in horror.
American leaders have been briefed on military options as they weigh how to respond to Tehran’s bloodletting, and those options are on the table for a president who has repeatedly said the United States stands with freedom-loving people. Reports indicate the White House has been presented with contingency plans, and the fact that our commanders are preparing plans is a sign we are not going to sit idly by while a brutal regime slaughters its own citizens. For patriots who value liberty, decisive deterrence is not provocation — it is protection for innocent lives and for regional stability.
One option reported by U.S. outlets would be a large-scale aerial strike on Iranian military targets — a blunt message meant to make tyrants think twice before massacring civilians. No final decision has been announced, and military leaders stress caution to avoid playing into Tehran’s propaganda or sparking a wider conflagration, but the mere fact that such options are being considered sends an important message. Weakness never saved lives; strength under the right commander can.
Predictably, Tehran has answered threats with bluster, with lawmakers openly chanting “Death to America” and officials warning they would strike U.S. and Israeli forces if attacked. They have also cut the internet for tens of millions of Iranians, a cowardly blackout meant to hide the scale of their crimes and choke off the voice of the people demanding freedom. The regime’s playbook is as old as it is rotten: silence, scapegoat, and then savage the population — and the world must not give them cover.
Conservatives should not hesitate to stand squarely with the protesters who risk everything for liberty; support means more than outraged tweets — it means humanitarian assistance, sanctions, protective measures for Americans in the region, and credible deterrence that convinces Tehran the cost of mass murder will be real. Let the left wring its hands while dictators laugh; true patriots demand action in defense of human dignity and American interests. The time to back freedom is now, and a strong America must be the shield for those who cannot defend themselves.
