A jihadi leopard does not change its spots. For nearly 50 years, Iran’s regime has lied, cheated, broken agreement after agreement, stringing the world along as it built the largest ballistic missile stockpile in the entire Middle East, not to mention a network of terror proxies and enough enriched uranium to build several nuclear bombs.

In public, Iranian representatives preached dialogue and diplomacy. But behind the scenes, they were building up a massive war and terror machine.

Given their long track record of deception, it comes as no surprise that Iran’s leaders have once again gone back on their word. On April 17th, they vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for safe passage. Things seemed to be looking up. Then just one day later, the regime suddenly changed its mind, announcing it was reclosing the strait and would attack any ships passing through.

Under past U.S. administrations, such as that of Joe Biden or Barack Obama, America would have pleaded with the Iranians to change their minds, maybe even offered them billions of dollars in sanctions relief to open the Strait of Hormuz—“We’ll give you anything you want, just please be nice!”

For years, that was the U.S. approach to the Iran threat. That all changed once President Trump took office. The President recently reminded Iran’s regime that he is not interested in playing games.

An Iranian cargo ship tried to break the ongoing U.S. naval blockade of Iran’s ports. The ship refused to turn back after repeated warnings. So after six hours, the U.S. Navy finally fired at the ship, boarded it, and seized it. They can’t say they weren’t warned repeatedly!

The Iranian regime, of course, vows to take revenge for the ship’s capture. President Trump told Fox News, “If the deal isn’t done, I’m going to take out their bridges and their power plants. If they don’t sign this thing, the whole country is going to get blown up.”

This seems to be this demonically inspired regime’s last chance. After 47 years of games, double talk, and deception, the mad mullahs have finally run into a U.S. president who is determined to end their terror empire.

You could argue that he already has. The regime is now a shell of what it once was. Even if it manages to hang on to power when the dust settles, it’s living on borrowed time. That’s what happens when a strong leader faces down evil and does not blink.

Erick Stakelbeck is an author, analyst, and host of “The Watchman” newscast and “Stakelbeck Tonight.” Stakelbeck also serves as the Director of Christians United for Israel’s CUFI Watchman Project.