U.S. President Donald Trump called on Iranians to keep protesting on January 13 and vowed that help was coming. More than a month later, no assistance has materialized. By February 15, the Human Rights Activists News Agency tallied 6,508 confirmed deaths among protesters, including 226 children. The true toll likely runs higher, according to the op-ed published on ynetnews.com.

The piece draws parallels to America’s past failures against Tehran. During Iran’s 1979 revolution, U.S. hesitation allowed the Islamic Republic to take hold. Decades of sanctions and occasional strikes have done little to slow Tehran’s nuclear ambitions or regional aggression, the author writes. Trump himself authorized the 2020 drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, yet such one-off actions proved insufficient.

“The United States must finally choose war instead of shame, or a worse war will come,” the opinion states bluntly. It accuses Washington of repeating mistakes by urging protests without follow-through. Iranian authorities, the piece claims, systematically hide the scale of their crackdown on demonstrators, labeling the regime a “medieval theocracy.”

Protests erupted across Iran in late 2019 over fuel price hikes and broader economic woes. Security forces responded with lethal force, detaining thousands. HRANA, an independent monitoring group, documented the deaths through eyewitness accounts, hospital records and other sources. Iranian officials have disputed the figures, reporting far lower numbers.

The op-ed rejects diplomacy as naive. Nuclear talks under Presidents Obama and Biden yielded temporary deals but no lasting curbs, it argues. Tehran has enriched uranium to near-weapons grade levels, according to International Atomic Energy Agency reports. Israel, a frequent target of Iranian proxies, has conducted covert operations and airstrikes, but the author insists only full U.S. military commitment can dismantle the program.

Historical echoes abound. In 1980, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq invaded Iran with tacit U.S. support, but America stayed on the sidelines. The 1983 Beirut barracks bombing by Iranian-backed militants killed 241 U.S. service members. Such episodes, the piece says, bred contempt for American resolve.

Trump’s January tweet came amid heightened tensions. Iran had shot down a U.S. drone and attacked oil tankers in the Gulf. His administration imposed “maximum pressure” sanctions, crippling Iran’s economy. Still, protests continue, fueled by repression and hardship.

The opinion warns of escalation risks. Iran’s allies—Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, militias in Iraq—could ignite wider chaos. A nuclear-armed Iran might embolden attacks on Israel or U.S. bases. Only “sustained military action,” not rhetoric, can avert this, the author concludes.

Critics of military intervention point to Iraq and Afghanistan quagmires. Endless wars drained trillions and U.S. prestige. The op-ed dismisses these as half-measures, arguing targeted campaigns against Iran’s nuclear sites and leadership offer a cleaner path.

Iran denies pursuing atomic weapons, insisting its program is peaceful. U.S. intelligence assesses Tehran could produce bomb-grade material in weeks if it chooses. The Biden administration pursues indirect talks via Oman, but progress stalls amid mutual distrust.