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American sailors and servicemen were put in harm’s way this week when a U.S. fighter shot down an Iranian Shahed drone after it aggressively approached the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, while Iranian gunboats also moved to intercept a U.S.-flagged tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz. These were not isolated blunders or border quarrels — they were deliberate, risky acts by a regime that continues to test American resolve on the high seas. The message should be simple to any sensible leader: weakness invites aggression and endangers American lives.
Iran doubled down days later by seizing two foreign oil tankers near Farsi Island, and the Revolutionary Guard’s navy put the crews in custody under the pretense of combating smuggling. This pattern of maritime bullying is unmistakable: Tehran is weaponizing commerce and global energy routes to intimidate and extract leverage. Americans who care about free navigation and the rule of law should see these seizures for what they are — state-sponsored piracy under the cloak of regime propaganda.
None of this happens in a vacuum. The Islamic Republic has spent years drowning dissent at home, and recent nationwide protests and the regime’s brutal crackdown have only exposed how radical and anti-American the leadership and its enforcers truly are. Chanting “Death to America” is not some quaint slogan; it reflects a ruling class that openly dreams of our destruction while they butcher their own people to stay in power. The moral clarity is obvious: a government that wants us dead cannot be trusted with regional influence or nuclear capability.
At the same time, diplomatic back-and-forth has continued, with talks reported between U.S. representatives and Tehran even as Iran flexes its military muscles and conducts naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz. Diplomacy is necessary when it is backed by strength, and the United States must not allow negotiations to be used as cover for Tehran’s escalation. Any leader worth his salt knows that bargaining without credible deterrence only rewards bad behavior and invites more confrontation.
It is galling to watch the same institutions and commentators who spent years soft-pedaling Iran’s threat suddenly wring their hands and call for patience when acts of aggression escalate. Patriotism means defending the homeland and standing with those who seek freedom from tyrants, not offering soporific lectures while our carriers and merchant mariners face harassment. Republicans and Democrats who cherish American security should unite around a clear policy: back our military, enforce sanctions, and amplify the voices of Iranian dissidents.
Hardworking Americans deserve a government that treats threats to our nation with seriousness and swiftness, not wishful thinking. These radicals in Tehran have shown both the intent and the capability to harm U.S. interests and citizens, and the time for half-measures is over. Stand with our sailors, support decisive pressure on the regime, and never forget that a free America must be a strong America.
