Shmuley Biotech
Times of Israel, July 19, 2025
“If we truly put America first, then we must protect American lives. We must avenge our fallen. We must stop a regime that has killed over 1,100 of our troops, plotted to assassinate a sitting president, and continues to pose a nuclear threat to our cities.”
I want to begin by saying something bold and sincere: Tom Basile deserves a Pulitzer Prize for his recent report on Iran on Newsmax. Rarely have I heard such a comprehensive, kaleidoscopic assessment of just how much American blood Iran has spilled since Ayatollah Khomeini’s Islamic Revolution in 1979. His report lays bare a truth that far too many Americans have forgotten or ignored—Iran has been waging a proxy war against the United States for over four decades, and we have yet to meaningfully respond. The blood of our murdered marines cries out from Beirut, the memory of our Air Force personnel rings from the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, the lost lives of our diplomatic personnel calls forth from the Beirut American Embassy, and 700 American soldiers murdered in Iraq demands vengeance. All were murdered by Iran.
In 1983, Iran orchestrated the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 American service members in a single, monstrous attack. What was the American response? Nothing. Not retribution, not pressure, not a counter-strike. Even President Ronald Reagan, a man I deeply admire for his leadership and vision, pulled American forces out of Lebanon, sending a message that terrorism works. Even under Regan, America showed cowardice rather than courage, consigning the lost lives of our soldiers to the dustbin of history. And so, Iran struck again, bombing the U.S. Embassy in Beirut that very same year. The violence continued, and America looked away.
This isn’t hyperbole. These aren’t vague accusations. This is documented fact. The Pentagon, the U.S. Treasury, and American intelligence agencies have confirmed Iran’s hand in the deaths of countless American servicemen and women. And yet, despite our unrivaled military power, we have treated Iran with kid gloves. We have allowed our enemies to kill us with impunity.
To every American reading this piece, I say with a full heart and a burning conscience: the blood of our Marines, our diplomats, and our troops demands retribution. What do we have a military for if not to defend the lives of our service members, America’s greatest heroes? Why do we spend hundreds of billions annually on defense if we will not use our might to stop those who slaughter our people?....SOURCE