The historical record since Iran’s 1979 revolution contradicts the narrative put forward by Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister (You’ll never defeat us in Iran, President Trump: but with real talks, we can both win, 30 December).
From its inception, the Islamic Republic defined itself in opposition to the United States and western values, chanting “Death to America” while holding 52 US diplomats hostage for 444 days. This was not a misunderstanding; it was a founding act. Since then, the Islamic republic has consistently used violence, proxies and coercion to attack US interests while denying direct responsibility.
The deadliest example came in Lebanon in 1983, when Iran-backed Hezbollah carried out the bombing of the US marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 American service members, followed by the bombing of the US embassy that killed 17 Americans. US courts and intelligence agencies have repeatedly concluded that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps helped plan, fund and train those operations.
This pattern continued. In 1996, the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia killed 19 US Air Force personnel; US indictments and investigations linked the attack to Iran-backed Hezbollah al-Hijaz. After 2003, Iran supplied militias in Iraq with explosively formed penetrators and training. According to US military assessments, these Iranian-backed weapons and groups were responsible for the deaths of at least 500 American soldiers during the Iraq war.
These are not “myths originating from Israel” or “fiction authored in Tel Aviv”. They are findings of US courts, bipartisan administrations and international reporting. Iran’s leaders cannot credibly claim restraint while arming Hezbollah, Hamas and militias across Iraq, Syria and Yemen – groups explicitly committed to attacking the US and its allies.
Real diplomacy requires honesty. A government that has spent decades exporting violence against civilians and soldiers alike cannot demand trust while refusing accountability. If Iran truly seeks peace with the west, the first step is not rhetoric about respect, but a clear break with terror, proxies, and the ideology that has made hostility to the United States a pillar of the regime itself.
Name and address supplied
