In 1979 the Shah of Iran was overthrown and Ayatollah Khomeini came to power. Later that year, students took over the American Embassy and took 52 hostages. Thus began one of the most transformative moments in American history. Americans became glued to their television sets like never before. It birthed Nightline as Ted Koppel came into our homes nightly and told us how many days they’d been held. It became a nightly ritual from coast to coast. And that’s where the ubiquitous yellow ribbons started.
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America had watched television en masse before, during moments of the Vietnam War (Tet) or during the moon landing, but nothing like this. It’s no coincidence that CNN’s Headline News launched in June 1980, right in the middle of this. And thus began America’s captivation with always on news.
The transformative effects of that revolution were not just on American television viewing habits. More importantly, it was likely the deciding factor in Ronald Reagan’s election. While Carter had other problems, the Nightline count was a hurdle he couldn’t overcome. The hostages survived and were released after 444 days, in the middle of Ronald Reagan’s inauguration speech.
The Iranian revolution was similar to the Cuban revolution. Both were led by charismatic leaders who lied their way into power. Both hid their true agendas while promising freedom, independence and justice against a tyrannical government. Once in power, both stepped from behind the curtain and began a tyranny that far outstripped that of their predecessors in both scope and brutality and became enemies of America.
Khomeini’s brutality hit America in 1983 when Iranian backed fighters bombed the American Embassy in Beirut in April, killing 63 people, and then the US Marine Barracks in October, killing 241. Sadly, in one of his few mistakes in office, Reagan, listening to the advice of Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, chose not to respond.
And thus began decades of Iranian backed terrorist attacks on Americans that would strike everywhere from Saudi Arabia to Tanzania to Yemen. What’s more, during the Iraq war at least 500 American troops were killed by Iranian backed fighters.
During much of this time, the regime was seeking to develop nuclear weapons despite claiming their ambitions were peaceful. By 2013 the Iranians were seen as being close to creating one. The Obama administration led negotiations to head it off and in 2015 signed a deal… that basically let Iran pursue nuclear power, just more slowly, with practically no real verification. And it did nothing about Iranian support for terror via its proxies, which continued, including the Hamas attacks on Israel of Oct 8th, 2023. But, it did do something about Tehran’s financial challenge. It loosened sanctions and gave them $100 billion.
Donald Trump was not impressed with the deal, calling it “the worst deal ever.” In 2018 he pulled out of it, stating: “It is clear to me that we cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement….”
Now fast forward to February 2026 and Trump announces Operation Epic Fury, a mission to keep the Iranians from getting nuclear weapons, to destroy their ballistic missile capabilities, “And finally, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”
Four months later we have peace! Well… a Memorandum of Understanding, basically a 60-day ceasefire deal where the U.S. and Iran talk about a final deal.
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Among the highlights:
“Iran will conduct dialog with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz….” So, despite the Strait being international waters, Iran now is given some ability to administer it?
“America undertakes with regional partners to develop a definitive, mutually agreed plan with at least USD $300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” The administration has said that the money will not come from American taxpayers, but money, like oil, is fungible, so we’ll see about that.
“Iran reaffirms that it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons.” And we believe them because they’ve always abided by their agreements….
“America undertakes to make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets of Iran.” And: “America and Iran and their allies in the current war, by signing this MOU, declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon….” Peace in the Middle East! Sure. The same day the MOU was signed, Iran was promising Hezbollah new funding.
All of this to say, WTF is Trump doing? All he had to do was sit back and deport the 50 million illegals and get the SAVE America Act passed, and he would have gone up on Mt. Rushmore. That’s it. That’s all he needed to do.
But no, instead of doing either of those things that Americans really want, he began a war with Iran. (Now the president has more information than I, so maybe they were on the cusp of nuclear power… I can’t say.) But what I can say is that this deal is a travesty. The regime in Tehran has been funding terrorism against America for decades. And pursuing nuclear weapons most of that time.
By signing this MOU with the regime Trump is doing nothing but kicking the can down the road so that someone else will have to deal with the exact problem in a few years. Before the war, he said: “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!… HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” They did. Thousands were killed, more arrested. And now Trump is making peace with the regime responsible.
It’s not America’s job to solve every problem and change every regime that’s hostile to us. But when Trump engaged Iran, he should have been smart enough to recognize that the only way to eliminate the threat of terrorism and a continued pursuit of nuclear weapons is by eliminating the regime that’s been doing both for half a century. And that doesn’t mean the U.S. had to do it. The Iranians want to do it. In 2009 they launched the Green Revolution, but it was brutally put down and failed in the face of Obama’s tepid response, something he admitted was a mistake. At the same time, surveys regularly put opposition to the regime at between 70 & 80 percent. The Iranians were willing to take on the regime themselves and needed some help. Donald Trump told them help was on the way, but stopped far short of finishing the job. Sure, he took out a number of their leaders, but they’re quickly replaced.
At the end of the day, America is not and should not play policeman to the world. But this MOU feels more like a political move than a military or strategic one. Sure, falling oil prices will help Americans at the pump over the summer, and sure, maybe Jared and Steve Witkoff’s companies and friends can make billions off the rebuilding of Iran — Note: most of what was destroyed was military, meaning plenty of money left over for malls & hotels — but where does that leave anything resembling peace in the middle east? Where does that leave potential victims of the next wave of terror funded by an emboldened Iranian regime? Not in a good place at all, and no amount of spinning by the president will change that.
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Follow Vince on X at @ImperfectUSA
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