Trump Invokes the Number 52 in Responds to Iranian Threats: 'Iran Itself WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND HARD'

This photo released by the Iraqi Prime Minister Press Office shows a burning vehicle at the Baghdad International Airport following an airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq, early Friday, Jan. 3, 2020. (Iraqi Prime Minister Press Office via AP)

President Trump responded on Saturday to Iranian threats against Americans in retaliation for the death of terrorist Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a targeted strike at the Baghdad airport on Friday.

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“Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their terrorist leader who had just killed an American, & badly wounded many others, not to mention all of the people he had killed over his lifetime, including recently hundreds of Iranian protesters,” the president wrote on Twitter. “He was already attacking our Embassy, and preparing for additional hits in other locations. Iran has been nothing but problems for many years.”

He continued the thread with a serious and specific warning: “Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!”

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President Trump was referencing the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979, when Iranian militants seized 66 American hostages at the American embassy in Tehran and held 52 of them for more than a year. It happened after the Islamic Revolution in Iran that curtailed freedom for Iranian women who had previously enjoyed a normal existence and sent relations between our countries plummeting. We’ve basically been at war with them on some level ever since, whether through proxy wars with their militias in Iraq and Afghanistan or dodging their terror attempts and attacks over many years. The hostage crisis was further enflamed by then-president Jimmy Carter’s inept and weak foreign policy. As soon as Ronald Reagan took office (literally minutes after inauguration), Iran released the hostages.

It appears that President Trump has not forgotten about what Americans have suffered at the hands of the Islamic zealots of Iran. He was not specific about where the 52 locations are, so at this point, we can only speculate. But one would imagine they will be economic hits (oil fields), military bases and assets, and possibly religious sites (like the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad).

If the U.S. did target cultural and religious sites in Iran, the screeching from the press and the Democrats would be almost unbearable. If it worked to quell the constant escalation of insanity from that part of the world it might be worth it. Terrorists don’t seem to mind blowing up anyone else’s cultural and religious sites. At some point, they should lose theirs. It’s only fair.

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And of course, the left is freaking out at the possibility Trump would do such a thing. Former Obama advisor Colin Kahl tweeted, “For what it’s worth, I find it hard to believe the Pentagon would provide Trump targeting options that include Iranian cultural sites. Trump may not care about the laws of war, but DoD planners and lawyers do…and targeting cultural sites is a war crime.”

It’s interesting how one side can commit all the war crimes they want while the rest of us have to abide by rules the enemy doesn’t follow. Speaking of that, has anyone figured out why Notre Dame burned down yet? (Crickets.) While Islamic terror groups blaze their way through Catholic churches and behead Catholic wedding parties, and aid workers, priests on the altar, and blow up little children in Sunday school, and target Buddhist temples and sacred sites without consequence, the talking heads in Washington ivory towers are nattering about preserving cultural sites. But what has that gotten us so far? Until now, no one in a position to do anything about it has been serious about stopping Islamic supremacy, much of which originates in Iran. Perhaps we finally have a president who is serious about stopping the spread of terror. I don’t want another war, but the truth is, we’ve been at war with Iran since 1979. It’s just coming to some sort of conclusion. The question is, which way will it go? Some people think we’re all going to die in a ball of fire.

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Blogger Andy Ostroy expressed his concern at Trump’s tweets killing us all.

I’m of the opinion that this is more of classic Trump bravado with which he has demonstrated he can and will act in a circumspect way. But the unpredictable nature of his actions keep the enemy off balance, and that’s helpful. Mike Cernovich weighed in: “Remember when Trump said he has a BIG RED BUTTON to nuke North Korea? Can we please stop pretending as if Trump doesn’t often bluster as part of a negotiation tactic?”

If history has taught us anything about Trump’s tweets, we probably don’t have to worry too much that the military will start striking Iranian mosques any time soon. But he has you (and Iran) wondering if he’ll do it, doesn’t he?

Megan Fox is the author of “Believe Evidence; The Death of Due Process from Salome to #MeToo.” Follow on Twitter @MeganFoxWriter

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