Unfortunately, Americans are ignorant about Iran. It is not listed in the top 20 of the Pew Research Center’s April 2024 list of Americans’ concerns, despite the havoc and death it has caused for decades all over the world. Nor is Iran in the top 10 of Pew’s April 2023 “Overseas Threats to America” poll, coming in 11th, with only 35% of citizens considering Iran a threat. Iran is ranked behind China, Russia, and North Korea as a potential enemy.

Does the fact that Iran’s favorite chant is “Death to America” get your attention?

This chant isn’t just shouted in the streets; it’s ritually chanted in the halls of Iran’s government by its rulers. Emblematic of Iranian leaders’ hatred for America is the fact that they have publicly sworn to assassinate President Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and one of our most senior military officers.

Americans most likely vaguely remember our embarrassment when the Shah of Iran, a staunch ally, was violently overthrown in 1979 by radical Islamists. Thousands of Iranians loyal to the Shah were murdered. Simultaneously with the Shah’s ouster, Iranians kidnapped 52 of our embassy staff and held them captive under horrid conditions for 444 days. Our hostages were only released upon President Ronald Reagan’s inauguration after he made it clear we would bomb them back to the Stone Age unless our people were released.

Kidnapping, torture, and imprisonment of our diplomatic embassy staff is hardly the stuff of a civilized nation. After the revolution, Iran has been directly responsible for numerous attacks on America. This includes the bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1983, killing 241 American Marines and 58 French paratroopers, and the bombing at Khobar Towers, Saudi Arabia, in 1996, killing 19 Air Force members. Furthermore, during the Iraq war (2003-2011), Iran produced improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that were responsible for hundreds of American deaths and the maiming of thousands more. Other terrorist attacks all over the world have been traced back to Iran, such as the Argentine attacks in 1992 and 1994, in which 114 Israelis were killed. The Iranian regime hates Israel even more than it hates America.

Modern Iran descends from the ancient Persians, whose civilization goes back thousands of years. According to ChatGPT, “The name Iran derives from the word ‘Ērān,’ which is the modern Persian form of the Middle Persian word ‘Ērānshahr,’ meaning ‘Land of the Aryans.’ The root ‘Aryan’ (or Arya) was used by ancient Indo-Iranian peoples to describe themselves. It means ‘noble’ or ‘free man.’” So, Iran literally means “Land of the Aryans.” How ironic.

Iran, the home of the noble and free. It hardly seems noble to kidnap diplomats and hold them captive for 444 days under horrible conditions. Widespread murder of your own citizens isn’t noble. Iran’s populace since 1979 is in no way free, being captive to a Middle Ages-based theocracy that abuses its own citizens. For example, homosexuality is banned in Iran, and when discovered, perpetrators are hanged publicly from construction cranes or thrown off tall buildings to their deaths. Iranian citizens have few freedoms like those we are accustomed to in the West. Iran’s official name is the Islamic Republic of Iran. The term “Islamic” is key. More on that later.

Iran is not a particularly large nation, being slightly larger in size than our state of Alaska, making it the 17th largest in the world. Its population is 92 million, also 17th in rank. Bordered by Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, Iran also has coastlines along the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman, giving it access to the oceans, where it frequently causes trouble for the nations of the world. The average American may be unable to pick Iran out on a map.

According to the World Bank, Iran’s GDP is ~$400B, ranking it 36th globally. Put another way, the U.S. GDP at $29 trillion is 72 times the size of Iran’s. Its primary economic strength comes from oil and gas, petrochemicals, autos, steel, and cement.

How could such an unremarkable country be important to America? How can such a nation cause so much trouble? Well, it’s simple. Iranian leaders are fanatically addicted to the idea that they are destined to rule the world, kill all infidels (that includes most of us), and implement Sharia law worldwide, awaiting the return of their messiah, Muhammad Al-Mahdi.

There are two main branches of Islam, Sunni and Shia. Roughly 85% of Muslims are Sunni and 15% are Shia. Iranians are Shia Muslims. Shia Muslims think their leaders (Imams), both spiritual and political leaders, are “divinely appointed and infallible.” Think of that — they think their leaders can do no wrong. Thus, brutally killing their enemies, which includes us, Israel, and much of the West, is not just no problem; it’s a divine duty. That’s a problem for those of us whose belief systems are different from theirs. Their radical theology dictates everything in relation to the rest of the world. They believe they are bound to conduct “holy” war against those who do not accept their beliefs. Since America and the West reject the teachings of Shia Muslims, that makes us the enemy of Allah, Muhammad, and Iran. The true fanatics who rule the nation of Iran would like to see the complete eradication of Israel and America.

Iran is a theocracy led by the Shia Muslim Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to ChatGPT, “Iran’s government is not a full democracy. While it holds elections, all candidates are heavily vetted, and real power lies with the unelected Supreme Leader, making it a hybrid theocracy-authoritarian system.” In other words, it is functionally a dictatorship.

Iran has devoted intense efforts for years to becoming a powerful military. Since it is a relatively small country with limited means and population, it has concentrated on ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. While these ballistic missiles are not yet intercontinental, they are hard at work developing more advanced missiles. And the ones they have developed and fielded are raining down on their enemies in the region, used by their proxies to attack Israel and international shipping.

Most troubling is Iran’s continued development of ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles), which, when developed, will put America at risk. For years, Iran has been known to be enriching uranium with the intent of developing nuclear weapons. This poses an existential threat to Israel and our allies in the region and a huge threat to us. For a long time, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has engaged with Iran to monitor its peaceful use of nuclear energy.

However, there have been frequent allegations from the IAEA over the years that Iran has not been transparent in its nuclear activities and likely is engaged in activities that could support a weapons program. It is well known that Iran has developed the ability to enrich uranium, which is a critical step in the production of nuclear fuel. Enriched uranium at certain levels can also be used in the production of nuclear weapons. Iran has at various points enriched uranium to levels beyond what is needed for peaceful purposes, meaning weapons-grade uranium. Iran is supposed to have inspections, but, of course, its leaders hide what they are doing from the IAEA.

If Iran develops nuclear weapons, it could be the end of Israel, as it will not hesitate to attack.