[US Airstrikes on Iran] Why Did the United States Attack Iran? "Preventing Nuclear Weapons, Eliminating Threats, Regime Change"

Reuters Analyzes the Background of US Strikes on Iran

Preventing Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Development

Eliminating Threats to the US and Its Allies

Regime Change in Iran Challenging US Power

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The United States and Israel conducted a joint military operation on the 28th (local time), resulting in the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian officials. The US and Israel have continued airstrikes for two consecutive days, while Iran has also launched retaliatory attacks, pushing the Middle East toward the brink of all-out war.

Reuters reported on the 1st (local time) that the main reasons behind the US attack on Iran were: preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons; eliminating threats to the United States and its allies; and pursuing regime change in Iran.

Preventing Iran from Obtaining Nuclear Weapons

US President Donald Trump cited “stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons” as the main reason for his decision to launch airstrikes against Iran. Throughout the nuclear negotiations with Iran, President Trump repeatedly emphasized the need for Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons program. In a video message released after the airstrikes, he explained that the operation was launched “because they were rebuilding their nuclear program and continuing to develop long-range missiles.”

The Trump administration carried out airstrikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities on June 22 last year. One of the reasons cited by the United States and Israel for the June airstrikes was that Iran was getting dangerously close to developing nuclear weapons. At that time, President Trump claimed that Iran’s nuclear program had been “completely obliterated.”

Yonhap News Agency

However, it has been reported that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium could be converted into nuclear weapons. This is why President Trump persistently demanded “abandonment of nuclear weapons” during the nuclear negotiations before the airstrikes, and in his video message after the latest strikes stated that “Iran attempted to rebuild its nuclear program.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and US intelligence agencies each assessed that Iran halted its nuclear weapons development program in 2003. Although Iran has denied ever pursuing nuclear weapons, analysts point out that the United States and Israel still perceived it as a threat. Reuters noted that no other country has ever enriched uranium and then not proceeded to develop nuclear weapons.

Blocking Iran’s Missile Program... Eliminating Threats to the US and Its Allies

President Trump also mentioned the growing threat to the United States posed by Iran’s advances in missile development. Regarding the purpose of the latest airstrikes, President Trump stated, “It is to protect the American people by removing the imminent threat from the very evil and terrible Iranian regime,” adding that “Iran’s threatening activities directly endanger the United States, our military, overseas bases, and allies around the world.”

He cited several examples: the 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran, where dozens of Americans were held hostage for 444 days; the 1983 attack by Iranian “proxies” on the US Marine barracks in Beirut, which killed 241 American servicemen; as well as numerous attacks on US forces in the Middle East and on international maritime routes in recent years.

President Trump also pointed out that Iran supports Hamas, which carried out the deadly border attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Regime Change in Iran

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After the airstrikes, President Trump addressed the Iranian people as “the great and proud people of Iran,” urging them to reclaim power from their rulers.

He declared, “Tonight I tell you, your hour of freedom is near. When we are done, take control of your government. It will be yours. Perhaps this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for you.”

Appealing directly to the Iranian people to overthrow their government, President Trump stated, “Strong and precise bombings will continue throughout this week, or as long as necessary to achieve our goal of bringing peace to the Middle East and, ultimately, the world.”

However, regime change appears unlikely to be easy. Iran is a country composed of various ethnic groups, including Persians, Azerbaijanis, and Kurds. Because its cultural background is not homogeneous, it is difficult to unite the population under a single cause. Even during previous waves of intense anti-government protests, a unified movement failed to emerge for this reason.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.