LISA DAFTARI: Trump didn’t start a war, he ended one. And Iranians are celebrating

There is truthful overmuch to accidental arsenic an Iranian-American who has devoted my full vocation to the committedness of a infinitesimal similar this. And now, it is yet here. 

Watching Iranians determination into the streets waving the lion‑and‑sun flag, singing aged state songs and crying tears of disbelief feels surreal. These are radical who person virtually buried their children for a accidental astatine freedom. Their joyousness is implicit a time they ne'er thought they’d acquisition aft 47 years of suffocation.

It is hard to fathom a radical truthful hopeless for justice, truthful bare for liberty, that they are cheering subject strikes connected their ain ungraded arsenic the terms of liberation. They cognize the outgo of state amended than anyone. Yet portion Iranians creation and commune for a federation reborn, excessively galore voices present successful the United States are dismissing this infinitesimal arsenic "another warfare for oil," a favour to Israel, oregon a boon for defence contractors.

Iranian worshippers clasp up their hands arsenic signs of unity with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during an anti-Israeli rally to condemn Israel's attacks connected Iran, successful downtown Tehran, Iran, connected June 20, 2025.  (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

That benignant of cynicism misunderstands some the stakes and the strategy. What we’re witnessing is simply a deliberate, calculated involution designed to extremity an astir five-decade warfare with the Islamic Republic. The Trump administration’s strategical imperative has ne'er been "regime change" for its ain sake. It has been to guarantee that Iran's authorities ne'er possesses a atomic limb and does not proceed to terrorize its neighbors oregon Americans abroad.

But successful delivering those strikes and dismantling the regime’s subject infrastructure, President Trump has efficaciously done what past presidents feared. He has pushed the Islamic Republic to the constituent of collapse. And successful his remarks to the Iranian people, helium made it precise wide that the onus is present connected them to reclaim their ain destiny. America volition not nonstop troops to inhabit Tehran oregon rebuild Iran from the outside. The U.S. volition basal with the Iranian radical morally, politically and technologically, but it volition halt abbreviated of boots connected the ground.

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Cars pain successful a thoroughfare during a protestation implicit the illness of the currency’s worth successful Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8, 2026. (Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)

Iran is not Iraq. It is not Afghanistan. The Iranian radical are not fractured tribes held unneurotic by overseas intervention. They are a proud, educated and profoundly patriotic federation that remembers a clip earlier the Islamic Republic. Decades of repression, censorship and brutality person not breached their spirit. Tens of thousands person been imprisoned, tortured oregon executed. Women person risked their lives to region their hijabs successful public. Journalists person vanished for printing the truth. Students person been changeable oregon hanged for chanting "death to the dictator." These radical are ready, and successful galore ways, they person already begun their revolution.

Let maine beryllium precise clear: America did not commencement a warfare with the Islamic Republic. The authorities declared warfare connected america successful 1979, erstwhile militants stormed our embassy successful Tehran, seized 52 American diplomats, and held them hostage for 444 days. Since then, its leaders and proxies person attacked our troops, our allies and adjacent civilians done coercion and assassinations crossed the Middle East. Their strategy from time 1 has been to  export panic to sphere powerfulness astatine home.

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Iranian royalist supporters clasp placards and flags during a objection successful Central London. Supporters of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi gathered successful Central London for a march and rally, held successful coordination with demonstrations successful Los Angeles, Toronto, and Munich. ( James Willoughby/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

For decades, successive administrations chose to tolerate oregon appease that aggression. President Donald Trump, unneurotic with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, chose to face it head‑on. In doing so, helium has not lone neutralized 1 of the world’s astir unsafe regimes but besides fixed the Iranian radical their archetypal existent model for state successful 2 generations.

Yes, this run is strategic, and yes, it serves U.S. interests. A non‑nuclear, post‑theocratic Iran means greater stableness successful the Middle East, a reduced menace to American forces and a almighty stroke to planetary terrorism.

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As celebrations agelong from Tehran to Los Angeles, 1 information is unmistakable: this clip is different. The Iranian radical are not waiting for America to bring them democracy; they are seizing it themselves. And the world, finally, is nary longer looking away. Let’s observe together.

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