"Among the first lessons that Iran's Islamic revolutionaries learned after coming to power in 1979 was that their best ally against American power was American democracy."
"Over the decades, Iran gained repeated proof that it didn't need to defeat America on the battlefield; it just had to make the American people feel the war in their living room."
"In April 1983, Iran-via its newly created Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah-carried out a suicide bombing against the U.S. embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people, including 17 Americans."
"Reagan addressed the nation and asked: 'If we were to leave Lebanon now, what message would that send to those who foment instability and terrorism?'"
"He answered himself four months later, when, under pressure from Congress, he ordered the complete withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Lebanon."
After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran's leaders realized that American democracy could be their ally against U.S. power. The 1979 U.S. embassy hostage crisis humiliated President Carter and ended his reelection chances. Over the years, Iran demonstrated that it could undermine American resolve without direct military confrontation. The 1983 Hezbollah bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut and subsequent attacks in Lebanon further illustrated this strategy, leading to U.S. withdrawal under pressure from Congress.
Read at The Atlantic
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