This theocracy has been ruling Iran with an iron grip since the overthrow of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in 1979. Since then, Iran has become the largest benefactor for the world’s deadliest terrorist organizations, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
In response to the protests, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claimed that the government “would not back down.” This statement is not surprising as the radical Islamic leaders of Iran have brutally responded to previous protests.
In 2009, the “Green Movement” protests erupted in Iran with demands for democratic reforms. While the world watched, and then U.S. President Barack Obama did nothing, the protests were savagely suppressed by the Iranian government.
In this case, President Trump stressed the U.S. response will be different. On Saturday, Trump posted on social media, “Iran is looking at FREEDOM…like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”
On Friday, Trump issued a warning to the Iranian government, “that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved…hitting them very hard where it hurts.”
The President has reviewed military options and is poised to act, if necessary, but has ruled out “boots on the ground.” Certainly, after the U.S. military strike on the three Iranian nuclear facilities in June and the flawless operation in Venezuela to extract their dictator, Nicolas Maduro, the Iranian mullahs know that Trump is serious.