Iran War & China: U.S. Strategic Overreach Could Benefit Beijing

The United States has several legitimate reasons for striking Iran. Putting aside, for the sake of this analysis, domestic constitutional and political debates and broader questions of international law, the case for American action against Tehran rests on three pillars: self-defense, nuclear nonproliferation, and human rights.

First is self-defense. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran’s regime and its proxies have repeatedly sought to kill, kidnap, and otherwise target Americans. The hostage crisis was the first instance of this, but certainly not the last. In the 1983 Beirut bombing, Iran-backed militants killed 220 U.S. Marines. During the Iraq War, Iran-trained militias were responsible for the deaths of more than 600 American service members. Iranian proxy groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah have killed numerous American citizens.

About the Author

Jianli Yang

Jianli Yang is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Center for the National Interest and a columnist for National Review.

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The United States has several legitimate reasons for striking Iran. Putting aside, for the sake of this analysis, domestic constitutional and political debates and broader questions of international law, the case for American action against Tehran rests on three pillars: self-defense, nuclear nonproliferation, and human rights.

First is self-defense. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran’s regime and its proxies have repeatedly sought to kill, kidnap, and otherwise target Americans. The hostage crisis was the first instance of this, but certainly not the last. In the 1983 Beirut bombing, Iran-backed militants killed 220 U.S. Marines. During the Iraq War, Iran-trained militias were responsible for the deaths of more than 600 American service members. Iranian proxy groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah have killed numerous American citizens.