The fact is, we have nearly five decades of experience to confirm that the Islamic Republic is an entirely irredeemable governing entity. Terrorism and vicious hatred of America, Israel, and the West are part of its DNA, and its fundamentalist vision is incompatible with peaceful coexistence with the civilized world. America – and the world – will never be safe if this regime survives in any form.

As a practitioner, I can say confidently: America does not go looking for or create monsters to destroy, nor should it. During my time as Secretary of State, we didn’t start a single war and instead deterred many through American strength. Sometimes when we fight monsters, we do so ineffectively, or half-heartedly, or do not use the correct strategy or tools necessary to defeat them. But the nature of the world and our place in it has made our willingness to fight monsters when they rear their ugly heads an essential guarantor of our security and freedom.

These are not isolated incidents, but indicative of a trend that has spiked across the West in the years since the atrocities of October 7th. And disturbingly, this is taking place against a backdrop of rising antisemitic violence, with assaults against American Jews reportedly reaching a 46-year high.

It should go without saying that the First Amendment freedoms of conscience, religion, and speech are foundational to our constitutional order. The more these rights are eroded, the faster we will find ourselves on a path toward the type of political and social decay afflicting so much of Western Europe.

President Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over the systematic persecution of Christians is a welcome and much-needed step to protect religious freedom.

The spectacle of Britain, France, Portugal, Canada, and Australia recognizing an independent Palestinian state this week was an exercise in diplomatic fantasy. The conceit? Anything can become a state if enough self-important world leaders wish it to be so – even a territory ruled by genocidal terrorists and lacking a unified, legitimate, and functioning government.

Do preening politicians like Starmer, Macron, or Carney care about the effect that their gambit will have on prospects for peace? Not in the slightest. Because this isn’t about the Palestinian people: It’s about moral grandstanding in the service of the most immoral of causes.

For four years, the Biden Administration sent a clear message to the world: America’s borders are open, and our laws are optional. This communicates weakness and invites provocation. Indeed, this wasn’t just poor policy – it was a dereliction of duty that compromised our national security in ways we’re still discovering. The consequences have been devastating.

Apologists for the terrorists who seek Israel’s destruction are full of excuses for antisemitic speech, harassment, and even violence. By their logic, the Jewish people bear collective responsibility for the actions of the Jewish state; and since they erroneously consider the State of Israel to be fundamentally illegitimate and guilty of any number of crimes, then individuals of Jewish origin become, in their minds, legitimate targets. This evil must be fought on every front.

Seven years ago, President Trump made one of his most consequential foreign policy decisions by withdrawing from the Obama-negotiated Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA). As Secretary of State during that pivotal moment, I not only supported this decision—I championed it.  Time has validated what we knew then: It was the right call.

Make no mistake: While the geographic caliphate of ISIS has been destroyed, its ideology lives on. These groups have developed sophisticated recruitment strategies that use social media to radicalize predominantly young men around the world, including inside the United States.

As America’s former Secretary of State and CIA Director, I’ve studied the Iranian regime’s behaviors and intentions more closely than most. The intelligence is clear and the conclusion unavoidable: An Iran armed with nuclear weapons would pose an existential threat not only to our allies in the Middle East but to global security as we know it.

Lest we fall into the trap of thinking these protests are just another passing fad and chalk them up to the naivete of youth, we should take a hard look at what has happened on college campuses over the past few weeks.

Seeing these devastated communities firsthand only made it clearer than ever that our country must continue to support Israel in its fight to destroy Hamas, so that the tragedy of October 7 never happens again.

Israel is fighting for its very survival – why on earth would the Biden Administration be publicly pressuring it to surrender in the face of terror? Establishing a terrorist “state” on Israel’s border would only further increase the chances for attacks on Israel in the future.