‘The principal source of terror’: Five Tweets on why the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran

This past Saturday, the United States, alongside Israel, launched a major surprise attack against the Islamic Republic of Iran, striking a major blow to its biggest enemy on the world stage. “When we are finished, your government will be yours to take,” said President Trump in a video address. Here are five Tweets on a monumental moment in Middle Eastern history. American Secretary of War Pete Hegseth kicked off the start of “Operation Epic Fury,” which he described as retribution for the more than 1,000 Americans who have been killed by the nearly 50-year-old regime or its proxies. He also said the strike was meant to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon, following recent U.S. negotiations with the country and nationwide protests that left thousands of their own civilians dead. The strike on key military and intelligence targets killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who had ruled the country for 37 years. He was the longest ruling head of state in the Middle East. The nation then announced 40 days of public mourning. Many other Iranian leaders and commanders were also killed. Iran launched retaliatory strikes in response, with their missiles and drones hitting targets in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait, some of which are home to U.S. military bases. So far, three American service members have been killed. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney released a statement largely supportive of Trump’s actions. The PMO denounced the regime as “the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East” and stated that Canada “supports” the United States’ actions to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon. Conservative leader and leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre also voiced his support for the joint operation against what he called a “clerical military dictatorship.” He urged Canadians to remember the 55 Canadians killed aboard Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 in 2020, which was shot down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps allegedly by accident. Lead contender for the federal NDP leadership, Avi Lewis, took to X to denounce the conflict and Canada’s support. He said this weekend was a “shameful moment that buries all of Carney’s high-minded rhetoric in Davos under the rubble.” Lewis drew attention to the fact that Trump launched the offensive without congressional authorization and predicted it would lead to another protracted conflict in the Middle East, similar to the Iraq War. Iran claims 200 of its own have been killed, including students at a girls’ school, though these reports have yet to be independently confirmed. Running counter to Lewis’ assertion that people in Iran and around the world are watching events with “heartbreak and uncertainty,” other reports highlight Iranians at home openly celebrating the attack. Similar calls are coming from parts of the Iranian diaspora here in Canada, now cheering in the streets. Hub contributor David Frum urged Trump’s biggest critics not to let their hatred for the 47th president cloud what should be a day of celebration on behalf of 93 million Iranians who are now one step closer to breaking free from the shackles of authoritarianism.