Donald Trump promised to be an America First president who would Make America Great Again. One of the things that makes America great, of course, is to ensure that it doesn’t have hanging over it the Sword of Damocles in the form of nuclear weapons in the hands of rogue, genocidal nations such as Iran. For years and years, Trump promised that he would never let Iran gain nuclear weapons. And today, after Israel softened the ground and cleared the skies, Trump dropped a full complement of bombs on all of Iran’s main nuclear sites, including Fordow.
Trump let the world know what happened via a message on Truth Social, which Pete Hegseth retweeted (thankfully, given that I can’t even load Truth Social right now):
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) June 21, 2025
In case you can’t read it, Trump’s message states as follows:
We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 22, 2025The White House also put out a statement:
"We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.… pic.twitter.com/AqCLmaLYJb
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 21, 2025
This is exactly what I expected. It is consistent with Trump’s message about protecting America at all costs. With reports that Iran was imminently ready to be a full nuclear power, complete with intercontinental ballistic missiles, all backed by a deep hatred for the Great Satan (America) and the Little Satan (Israel), along with what the mullahs believed to be a message from Allah to destroy both nations...well, there was no way Trump was going to sit around and wait.
Nor was I dismayed when Trump said that he’d given Iran up to two weeks to negotiate (i.e., surrender). It was always clear that Iran would never surrender. In other words, Trump made Iran an offer he knew it would refuse, freeing him to act in America’s best interests. Trump also understands that Iran, like Japan in World War II, has a leadership in the grip of an ideology that sees the leaders reject the entire concept of surrender. They just can’t—until it’s apparent that their potential victory is not only unlikely, but completely impossible.
One great thing about today’s attack, though, that is totally unlike Japan in August 1945, is that Israel has taken exquisite care to preserve the Iranian people’s lives and infrastructure. This targeted American raid did the same. The Iranian people despise the sadistic men who have controlled their lives for decades. It’s only Western leftists, especially, and weirdly, the LGBTQ+ crowd, who admire the mullahs.
Now that the mullahs have been defanged, with their entire leadership gone and their military infrastructure in ashes, there’s every reason to believe that the Iranian people will rise up and claim their proud pre-mullah history as a gracious, pluralist society. I foresee great things.
And another thing: Trump also understands that the Muslim world, as Osama bin Laden said decades ago, will always back the strong horse. As long as America hung back behind Israel...well, it was great that it was giving Israel free rein to destroy the mullahs, but it still made America look weak, which was very dangerous. America has now made it unambiguously clear that it will not allow rogues to pose a threat. Kim Jong-un is taking note...
One more thing: Trump played this brilliantly. His White House and the Pentagon kept absolutely secret about what was to happen, without a single leak. Meanwhile, Trump’s varying jokes and pronouncements gave nothing away. All around, it was a perfectly carried out performance, starting with his fake break-up with Netanyahu, right to Fordow’s destruction.
There’s still the possibility that Iran will activate its terrorist cells, but to what end? The country’s military threat is over, and the people, with luck, will create a thriving Republic that is a model of Muslim functionality and liberty in the Middle East.
(Since I wrote that, a friend reminded me that Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of Iran, and Christianity are the fastest-growing religions in Iran. The abuses the mullahs committed killed Islam.)
I’m as pleased as punch with this. It ain’t over ‘til it’s over, but it’s difficult to see anything but a good ending here for America, Israel, and the Iranian people.
And here’s a charming historical tidbit given the Democrats’ recent ridiculous “No Kings” protests. Louis XIV, at the height of France’s power, had engraved on French Army cannons the Latin phrase “Ultima Ratio Regum” (“The last argument of kings”). Trump is not a king, but when it comes to protecting the homeland, he understands military power.
Image: X screen grab.