Iran’s Decades-Long Conflict Targets Americans Worldwide
As the United States navigates its future involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict, the world is taking a fresh look at Iran’s activities targeting Americans over four decades. These actions encompass direct assaults, proxy attacks, and assassination attempts.
Historical Overview of Iranian Aggression
Since 1979, Iran has engaged in a “forever war” against the U.S. and its allies. The U.S. is reevaluating its stance on Iran’s long history of targeting Americans globally.
Notable Attacks
In 1979, the early days of the Islamic revolution saw radical students seize the U.S. embassy in Tehran. The Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran’s first supreme religious leader, controlled the situation, rejecting international appeals to release the hostages. The last hostages were freed after 444 days.
In 1983, the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut resulted in 63 fatalities, including 17 Americans. Two suicide truck bombs at the barracks of multinational forces in Lebanon killed 220 Marines, 18 U.S. Navy sailors, and three U.S. Army soldiers. Fifty-eight French troops also perished.
In 2023, Sayyed Issa Tabatabai, a representative of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Lebanon, admitted Iran’s involvement in the 1983 bombings in an interview with the state-controlled Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
Khobar Towers Bombing
On June 25, 1996, a truck bomb exploded outside the Khobar Towers, resulting in the deaths of 19 U.S. Air Force members. In 2006, a U.S. court held the Iranian government responsible for the attack, carried out by Saudi members of Hezbollah. The court ordered Iran to pay $254 million to the attack victims.
According to the Congressional Research Service, Iran’s support for militant groups and hostile actions has increased instability in the Middle East, costing billions of dollars in U.S. aid and military operations (CRS Report 2023).
Ongoing Concerns
The long-term implications of Iran’s actions continue to be assessed. The United States and its allies are evaluating strategies to address the ongoing threats posed by the regime.
