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Why the U.S. Attacked Iran
(Commentary) Abe Greenwald - After 20-plus years of public speculation about how Israel, the U.S., or both would ultimately handle the threat emanating from the Iranian theocracy, many Americans are suddenly stumped as to why the U.S.-Israel coalition is trying to topple the regime. They just can't figure it out. The Islamic Republic has been the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism for decades. Iran has routinely vowed "death to America," killed thousands of Israelis and Americans (and many more Iranians), expanded its reach through multiple terrorist proxies and statelets throughout the region, sought to assassinate American officials (including Donald Trump), and worked assiduously to build and hide a nuclear weapons program. And that's just a partial list. Since Khomeinists took 66 Americans hostage in 1979, we've never lacked a justification for wanting to topple the terrorist regime. What we did lack until now was the will to act and sufficiently optimal circumstances for success. Having obtained both, our decision to go to war should be readily understood. The amnesiacs are forgetting the regime's crimes because it's traumatic for them to accept that Israel and the U.S. are doing the right, moral, and necessary thing - after so many administrations allowed the threat to grow. To some, preemptive war is immediately suspect and specifically unacceptable absent an imminent threat. But it's better to strike one's enemies before they pose an imminent threat.