American Victory Over Tehran Will Require Regime Change

The only solution to the Iranian threat is to replace the current religious dictatorship with a government loyal to the citizens of Iran rather than the fanatics of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.As long as the IRGC and the Ayatollahs are in charge, Iran will be a mortal danger to America.When a government spends 47 years chanting “death to America,” you should conclude it means “death to America.”The religious dictatorship’s response to decisive, debilitating assaults by America has been to dig deeper, fight harder, and develop new strategies to make the war too expensive. In 1979, demonstrators at Tehran call for the replacement of the Shah of Iran. Keystone/Getty ImagesIt’s clear the dictatorship is committed to its values and vision of destroying America, which Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called “The Great Satan.”This is the same dictatorship whose previous leader called Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli civilians, including children, “a service to humanity.” It’s the same dictatorship which has murdered 72,000 of its own citizens to keep power. In his extraordinary and comprehensive United Nations speech this week, President Trump clearly identified our adversary as “the number one sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran.”Mr. Trump went on to say: “For 51 years, the fanatical Iranian regime has ruled by bloodshed and mass murder, spreading death and carnage and chaos across the entire Middle East and beyond. They were the bully of the Middle East.”He added that: “I will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Upon taking office last year, I immediately opened negotiations with Iran and offered them full economic cooperation in exchange for ending their nuclear program and support for terror. But they refused.”President Trump speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 22, 2026. Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesEven after Operation Midnight Hammer destroyed Iran’s nuclear research facilities, the religious dictatorship stockpiled missiles, drones, and other weapons to keep power and threaten America. Mr. Trump warned that Iran already has the capability to strike European cities and urged allies to join his commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. I have been deeply troubled by the gap between Mr. Trump’s entirely correct analysis of how bad the religiously driven dictatorship is and the efforts to cut a deal with them.The world’s leading supporter of state terrorism can never be trusted to keep its word. The only effective solution to the anti-American fanatics in Teheran is to drive them from power and insist on a totally new government made up of those who have been oppressed — and with no space for the oppressors.Here are a few key steps:First, America should announce that it is going to replace the dictatorship. Mr. Trump should give a series of speeches indicating why this is the only way to keep America’s cities from being destroyed with Iranian bombs. Democrats should be forced to choose between defending our cities and surrendering to the Iranian dictatorship.Second, a committee for a free Iran should be organized worldwide. I know from personal experience that there are hundreds of thousands of Iranians living abroad who would work and struggle and help finance a rebellion against the dictatorship. There are also Iranian-born business leaders who are now billionaires and could play a big role in helping arouse the Iranian people.Third, an all-out effort should be made to cut off all of Iran’s internal communications, so the IRGC cannot reach its own people to give them instruction. At the same time, a massive effort should be made to help the Iranian people have communications systems so they could organize themselves. A Radio Free Iran should broadcast 24 hours a day.Fourth, weapons should be smuggled into Iran as rapidly as people can be identified who are willing to use them. Life as an IRGC member should suddenly become dangerous.Fifth, working with the Israelis, we should resume the decapitation program which was grinding down the IRGC leadership in the spring until it was stopped. Every IRGC leader should spend every day wondering if it will be his last.This kind of campaign should intensify and expand every day until the regime collapses, and a reasonable government can be established which prefers prosperity, safety, and freedom to religious fanaticism and hatred.

American Victory Over Tehran Will Require Regime Change

American Victory Over Tehran Will Require Regime Change

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