U.S. National Interest Demanded The B2 Strikes Against Iranian Nuclear Capability

After the successful American strike on the three primary Iranian nuclear bases and the total destruction of Iran’s Nuclear capability, Trump has brought a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.

1979 Iranian Hostages

Prior to the US B2 bombing mission, Israel had killed over a dozen of the top Iranian nuclear scientists, as well as the top levels of the Iranian military and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force. The US B2 bombing strike was conducted because only the US had the capability to destroy certain Iranian underground nuclear sites.

During the limited defensive support for Israel and the B2 surgical strike, much of the political left and a minority of the political right attacked Trump for allegedly acting in Israel’s interest. An argument was that America had no reason to go to war with Iran, and should have left Israel to fight by itself. Though America has made mistakes with getting involved in military operations with questionable American interest, destroying Iran’s nuclear program was not in that category and was fully justified.

Some personal thoughts about the subject: As a 13-year-old military “brat” living at West Point in early 1981, I met with a group of the newly freed Iranian hostages when they came to our middle school. This was shortly after they had been released after almost a year and a half of captivity. The hostages had been through utter hell by the Iranian radical Jihadist captors who humiliated our nation by seizing our Embassy in 1979.

I remember 1980 well and the disgust of all Americans over Iran, including the failed hostage rescue attempt. In 1983, I remember learning of the hundreds of Marines killed by Iran proxy, Hezbollah, in Lebanon. Throughout the next four decades, I watched as the Iranian regime killed and kidnapped countless Americans as number one worldwide sponsor of terrorism. 

Iranians were continually seeking to kill Americans

Through my deployments to the Middle East and then Afghanistan, Iranians were continually seeking to kill Americans.

I was in the Middle East in the summer of 1996 when Iranians blew up the Khobar Towers, Saudi Arabia barracks, killing 19 US servicemembers and wounding hundreds. Iranians killed and wounded thousands of fellow servicemembers through their explosively formed penetrators/projectiles (EFPs) in Iraq and Afghanistan at a time my brother and I served in those countries.

Almost two years ago, Iran caused the October 7 massacre and rape of over 1,200 Israelis, including dozens of Americans killed or taken hostage. Iran trained Hamas to retreat back into Gaza after the mayhem and embed itself among the civilian population. Israel was forced to fight within those civilian areas. Despite this challenge created by Iran, according to IDF Spokesman Lt. Colonel Jonathan Conricus: “if you compare that (2 to 1 civilian to military) ratio to any other conflict in urban terrain between a military and a terrorist organization using civilians as their human shields, and embedded in the civilian population, you will find that that ratio is…. perhaps unique in the world.” (CNN, Dec.5, 2023)

Regardless, an Iranian funded an “information operations” campaign in the West, inflaming many in the West against Israel and America. Since then, the US has been directly attacked by Iranian proxies like the Houthis and three US service members were killed by Iranian proxies.

The Iranian theocracy is uniquely dangerous to us. It maintains a cultish belief that Israel and America must be destroyed to usher in their Islamic Messiah figure, the Madhi. In recent years, the level of Madhiism has increased. From a 2022 Middle East Institute paper: “(Under the current regime) Devoted Mahdists could occupy senior leadership positions….. it would bring the three pillars of the IRGC’s foreign policy — militias, ballistic missiles, and the nuclear program — under their control…. (if) Mahdists occupy senior positions in the Guard, it is possible that they may seek to facilitate and speed up the return of Mahdi.

This would have major implications for some of the policies that are being understood through the prism of Mahdism, such as Israel’s existence being the ‘greatest barrier’ to the reappearance of the 12th Imam. At present the doctrine of Mahdism in the IRGC remains a complete blind spot for Western policymakers, yet it could have major implications for…… its nuclear program. (Middle East Forum, December 19, 2023)

Iran’s race for development of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), is clearly to strike America, as Iran doesn’t need ICBMs to strike Israel.

According to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) “IAEA's latest quarterly report released in late May warned that Iran had amassed enough uranium enriched up to 60% purity - a short, technical step away from weapons grade, or 90% - to potentially make nine nuclear bombs. (Was Iran months away from producing a nuclear bomb?, June 18, 2025)

Additionally, before Israel began its air attack, the Iranians made clear they were going to go all out to enrich Uranium. Iran responded by targeting almost exclusively civilians in urban areas.

There are multiple reasons we should support our ally Israel, including for Israel’s support for America, particularly during the Cold War and by offering priceless intelligence. In this case, the interest is much more direct to America. Iran was a clear and present danger to the United States and had been an enemy for half a century. We placed our ultimate faith in God and justifiably defended ourselves. We thank Him for the results.