I came across this opinion piece regarding what’s going on in Iran, and it is quite informative.
Let’s get something straight, because this hasn’t been talked about enough. And I’m tired of seeing people grabbing headlines and posts that agree with their narrative instead of doing their own research.
What’s happening right now in Iran is not Israel’s war. It’s not a Jewish vendetta, it’s not a Middle East skirmish that has nothing to do with the rest of us, and contrary to Tucker Carlson, it has nothing to do with Chabad. You need to know what’s actually going on.
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Let’s get something straight, because this hasn’t been talked about enough. And I’m tired of seeing people grabbing headlines and posts that agree with their narrative instead of doing their own research.
What’s happening right now in Iran is not Israel’s war. It’s not a Jewish vendetta, it’s not a Middle East skirmish that has nothing to do with the rest of us, and contrary to Tucker Carlson, it has nothing to do with Chabad. You need to know what’s actually going on.
Thread 🧵Continued 1 of 7
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Washington severed diplomatic ties with Iran under the Carter administration after Iranian students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held 52 Americans hostage. That was 1979.
Since then, EVERY administration, Carter, Reagan, Bush (senior), Clinton, Bush (junior), Obama, Biden, and Trump, has said that a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable. The White House recently documented 74 separate instances of Trump making that case, calling it “longstanding, bipartisan American policy.” This isn’t a new position. It isn’t a right-wing position. It’s what every administration has believed for half a century.
history.state.gov/departmenthist…
Washington severed diplomatic ties with Iran under the Carter administration after Iranian students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held 52 Americans hostage. That was 1979.
Since then, EVERY administration, Carter, Reagan, Bush (senior), Clinton, Bush (junior), Obama, Biden, and Trump, has said that a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable. The White House recently documented 74 separate instances of Trump making that case, calling it “longstanding, bipartisan American policy.” This isn’t a new position. It isn’t a right-wing position. It’s what every administration has believed for half a century.
history.state.gov/departmenthist…
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So why did it take until now?
Because Iran kept moving the goalposts, and the world kept letting them.
By May 2025, the IAEA reported that Iran’s cache of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium had surged by roughly 50 percent in just three months, putting Tehran one step away from having enough material for ten nuclear weapons.
That’s not some little vague threat. That’s a countdown.
isis-online.org/isis-reports/a…
So why did it take until now?
Because Iran kept moving the goalposts, and the world kept letting them.
By May 2025, the IAEA reported that Iran’s cache of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium had surged by roughly 50 percent in just three months, putting Tehran one step away from having enough material for ten nuclear weapons.
That’s not some little vague threat. That’s a countdown.
isis-online.org/isis-reports/a…
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The head of U.S. Central Command testified that if Iran decided to sprint toward a nuclear weapon, it could produce enough weapons-grade material for a simple device in one week, and enough for ten weapons in three weeks.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio put it plainly: “They have everything they need to build nuclear weapons.” When you’ve built the engine, loaded the fuel, and pointed the car at the wall, it doesn’t matter much whether you’ve pressed the gas yet.
Iran spent years insisting its program was civilian. All the while, it was moving toward weapons capability. According to reporting sourced by the Institute for International Political Studies, Khamenei had authorized development of miniaturized nuclear warheads for ballistic missiles as recently as October 2025.
The head of U.S. Central Command testified that if Iran decided to sprint toward a nuclear weapon, it could produce enough weapons-grade material for a simple device in one week, and enough for ten weapons in three weeks.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio put it plainly: “They have everything they need to build nuclear weapons.” When you’ve built the engine, loaded the fuel, and pointed the car at the wall, it doesn’t matter much whether you’ve pressed the gas yet.
Iran spent years insisting its program was civilian. All the while, it was moving toward weapons capability. According to reporting sourced by the Institute for International Political Studies, Khamenei had authorized development of miniaturized nuclear warheads for ballistic missiles as recently as October 2025.
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Now let’s talk about China, because this piece of the picture is pretty darn critical.
China is not a bystander in this story. Iran is central to Beijing’s entire overland trade and energy strategy. Iran sits at the heart of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the infrastructure network connecting East Asia to Europe through land-based transport and Persian Gulf energy routes. Without stable access through Iranian territory, Beijing’s supply chains have no viable alternative. Iran exported more than 520 million barrels of crude oil to China in 2025 alone. Only Saudi Arabia supplied more. China buys over 80 percent of Iran’s oil. This isn’t ideological solidarity. It’s a dependency that neither side wants disrupted.
Which brings us to the Strait of Hormuz.
Now let’s talk about China, because this piece of the picture is pretty darn critical.
China is not a bystander in this story. Iran is central to Beijing’s entire overland trade and energy strategy. Iran sits at the heart of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the infrastructure network connecting East Asia to Europe through land-based transport and Persian Gulf energy routes. Without stable access through Iranian territory, Beijing’s supply chains have no viable alternative. Iran exported more than 520 million barrels of crude oil to China in 2025 alone. Only Saudi Arabia supplied more. China buys over 80 percent of Iran’s oil. This isn’t ideological solidarity. It’s a dependency that neither side wants disrupted.
Which brings us to the Strait of Hormuz.
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Roughly 13 million barrels of oil per day moved through the Strait in 2025, about 31 percent of all seaborne crude in the world.
About 45 percent of China’s oil imports pass through it. Iran has threatened to close it. And here’s what that threat actually produced: China is now in direct talks with Iran, pressing Tehran to allow crude oil and LNG vessels safe passage and to hold off on targeting tankers or key export hubs. When Beijing’s energy supply is on the line, the anti-American posturing has real limits.
Roughly 13 million barrels of oil per day moved through the Strait in 2025, about 31 percent of all seaborne crude in the world.
About 45 percent of China’s oil imports pass through it. Iran has threatened to close it. And here’s what that threat actually produced: China is now in direct talks with Iran, pressing Tehran to allow crude oil and LNG vessels safe passage and to hold off on targeting tankers or key export hubs. When Beijing’s energy supply is on the line, the anti-American posturing has real limits.
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Here’s what this all adds up to.
The United States didn’t stumble into this war because Israel asked nicely. It acted on a threat that five decades of American presidents acknowledged and mostly kicked down the road.
Iran was weeks away, not years, from having the material needed for nuclear weapons. It had long-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching U.S. bases and allies throughout the region. It had a weapons development program it had been lying about for years.
Calling this Israel’s war ignores fifty years of American policy, multiple rounds of failed diplomacy, and a nuclear program that was running out of road.
The world needed someone to act. The better question isn’t why it happened. It’s why it took this long.
(c) 2026 Melissa Brodsky
Here’s what this all adds up to.
The United States didn’t stumble into this war because Israel asked nicely. It acted on a threat that five decades of American presidents acknowledged and mostly kicked down the road.
Iran was weeks away, not years, from having the material needed for nuclear weapons. It had long-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching U.S. bases and allies throughout the region. It had a weapons development program it had been lying about for years.
Calling this Israel’s war ignores fifty years of American policy, multiple rounds of failed diplomacy, and a nuclear program that was running out of road.
The world needed someone to act. The better question isn’t why it happened. It’s why it took this long.
(c) 2026 Melissa Brodsky
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