Iran and the Death of Civility: A Factual Examination of a Regime at Odds with Peace

 

The World Must Open Its Eyes

For more than four decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has projected itself as a victim of Western aggression. But history paints a starkly different picture. From the moment the Ayatollahs seized power in 1979, the regime has waged a campaign of hatred, violence, and repression—not only against its own people but across borders. Its slogan, "Death to America," has not been symbolic: it has translated into hundreds of American lives lost, thousands of civilians terrorized, and a population held hostage by fear.

If the world truly seeks peace, then it must recognize that Iran has consistently acted outside the bounds of civil society. This article lays out the facts.

1. “Death to America” Is Not a Metaphor

The slogan “Death to America” (Marg bar Āmrikā) has been a foundational rallying cry since 1979. It is chanted weekly at state-sponsored rallies and endorsed by top leadership:

• Ayatollah Khomeini (1979): Called the U.S. the “Great Satan.”

• Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (2015): “When we say death to America, we mean death to U.S. policies. We have no problem with the American people.”

• Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati (2014): “We are the enemies of America… Death to America is our number one slogan.”

These are not fringe voices — they are the regime’s top authorities. Imagine any Western government broadcasting weekly chants calling for the destruction of another country and being treated as a legitimate member of the international community. The UN condones and accepts such hatred rhetoric.

2. Killings of Americans: Blood on the Regime’s Hands

Iran has directly or indirectly been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans:

Beirut, 1983

A truck bomb orchestrated by Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, killed 241 U.S. Marines.

Iraq War, 2003–2011

Iranian-manufactured Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs) were responsible for the deaths of at least 603 American service members, according to the Pentagon.

Baghdad, 2022

Stephen Troell, an American aid worker, was assassinated by Iranian intelligence-linked operatives. In 2024, the U.S. Justice Department charged IRGC captain Mohammad Reza Nouri with orchestrating the murder.

These aren’t accidents of war. They are part of a deliberate strategy of asymmetrical warfare: kill Americans through proxies, deny responsibility, and manipulate diplomacy.

3. Exporting Violence Through Proxies

Iran’s foreign policy is built on exporting the revolution through terror:

• Hezbollah (Lebanon): Funded and armed by Iran; responsible for attacks in Argentina (1994) and Syria.

• Hamas (Gaza): Regular recipient of Iranian support; uses civilian shields while attacking Israel.

• Kata’ib Hezbollah (Iraq): Engaged American forces with lethal precision weaponry.

• Houthis (Yemen): Launching drone and missile attacks at civilian infrastructure and U.S. naval vessels.

Through these proxies, Iran has killed Americans, Israelis, Saudis, Yemenis, Lebanese, Syrians, and others, while masquerading as a “resistance” force.

4. Brutal Control at Home: A Regime Built on Fear

Iran’s greatest victims are often its own citizens:

• 2009 Green Movement: Protesters were beaten, imprisoned, and tortured after contesting fraudulent elections.

• 2022 Mahsa Amini Protests: After the death of 22-year-old Amini in morality police custody, protests erupted across Iran. The regime responded with mass shootings, arrests of minors, rapes in detention, and public executions.

• Censorship & Surveillance: Iran ranks among the worst global violators of press and internet freedom. The regime blocks, filters, and punishes dissent at every level.

The regime’s morality police enforce dress codes and gender norms with violence. Iran executes more people per capita than any other country. Girls as young as 13 can be married. LGBT citizens are routinely tortured or executed.

5. A Nuclear ProgramWrapped in Lies

Despite claiming peaceful intentions, Iran has repeatedly deceived the world:

• It concealed nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz.

• It has enriched uranium to 60% purity, alarmingly close to weapons-grade.

• It has denied access to international inspectors and conducted secret ballistic missile tests.

Iran’s nuclear strategy has always been deception, delay, and defiance—a strategy meant to buy time while building leverage.

6. A Dangerous Double Standard

One of the most alarming realities is not only what the Iranian regime does, but how the global community enables it:

• Russia and China provide Iran with arms, money, and political cover.

• European leaders, while condemning Israeli defensive actions, pursue deals with Tehran, even after terror plots on their soil.

• UN institutions, ostensibly neutral, repeatedly fail to hold Iran accountable—yet obsess over liberal democracies.

This moral inconsistency emboldens Iran. When the world rewards aggression with negotiation, the regime learns that terror pays.

7. Iran Is Not Its People

A key truth: Iran’s regime is not the Iranian people.

Millions of Iranians—especially women, students, artists, and exiled voices—despise the regime. They yearn for freedom and modernity. Many chant "Death to the Dictator" at personal risk. Protests have erupted in dozens of cities despite brutal crackdowns.

Any strategy to confront Iran must also support the democratic aspirations of its people. They are not the enemy—they are the first and longest-suffering victims of the regime.

8. From Condemnation to Policy: What Must Be Done

Words are no longer enough. The free world must act with clarity and resolve. That includes:

• Designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization globally.

• Freezing regime assets and funding channels, including those funneled through cultural centers or fake charities.

• Supporting Persian-language free media and online anonymity tools for dissidents.

• Rejecting any new nuclear deals unless verifiably tied to complete military de-escalation.

• Publicizing and documenting Iran’s domestic and international crimes without fear of diplomatic discomfort.

  Conclusion: Iran Must Be Dealt With — Decisively

  The world cannot plead ignorance. It cannot pretend Iran is misunderstood, or that appeasement will moderate its violence.

  Iran's leadership chants death to the West. It funds terror, kills innocents, tortures children, oppresses women, and builds nuclear weapons—all while demanding international respect.

  This is not a country seeking peace. It is a regime committed to confrontation with civilization itself.

  For the world to have peace, Iran must be dealt with—not by war alone, but through uncompromising truth, unified policy, and moral courage. Anything less is complicity.