America is safer and stronger today because President Donald Trump and our courageous military have boldly dismantled Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. After decades of appeasement and weakness from establishment politicians, Trump’s decisive action has crippled Tehran’s conventional military power, delivering a powerful blow against the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism. But even as we celebrate this tremendous victory, we must keep our eyes wide open to the clear and present danger posed by Iran’s terrorist proxies—especially the lethal terror organization Hezbollah.
Israel’s relentless campaign against Iran-backed terrorists after the heinous October 7th sneak attack was both necessary and righteous. Over the past 21 months, Israelis have decimated Iran’s military capabilities, sending a strong message to Tehran’s fanatical regime: attacks on innocent civilians will be met with swift and overwhelming force. Yet, the more cornered Iran becomes, the more desperate and dangerous its terrorist proxies grow—raising the threat of terror attacks against Americans both abroad and right here at home.
The most dangerous among these groups is Hezbollah. Funded, trained, and commanded by Iran, Hezbollah has killed more Americans worldwide than any other terrorist organization. From Lebanon to Saudi Arabia, from airline hijackings to brutal kidnappings, Hezbollah has shown a ruthless determination to attack American lives wherever they can be found, and their reach extends chillingly into the heartland of America itself.
It is vital we remember the depth of Hezbollah’s infiltration into our country. A grim example was the Hezbollah terror cell uncovered in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This case, prosecuted aggressively by federal authorities, revealed a sinister network operating brazenly within our borders. For four years, the FBI meticulously unraveled a web of criminal activity—ranging from money laundering and tax evasion to immigration fraud and material support of terrorism. Hezbollah operatives funneled over $8 million through more than 500 bank accounts, leveraged to fund their global war against America and its allies.
Mohamad Youssef Hammoud, the ringleader, received a staggering 155-year prison sentence, with his brother, Shawqi Youssef Hammoud, sentenced to 70 years. This operation indicted a total of 26 individuals and exposed similar Hezbollah cells operating throughout American cities. The threat is real, persistent, and deeply embedded.
If anyone doubts the commitment of Iran and Hezbollah to killing Americans wherever they can find them, consider the following:
In April 1983, a suicide bomber in a pickup truck loaded with explosives rammed into the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. Sixty-three people were killed, including 17 Americans, eight of whom were employees of the Central Intelligence Agency, including chief Middle East analyst Robert C. Ames and station chief Kenneth Haas.
In October 1983, 241 U.S. Marines were killed in a cowardly attack of the Marine Barracks in Beirut.
On June 25, 1996, 19 U.S. Air Force members were killed when a truck bomb exploded outside the Khobar Towers. A U.S. court found the Iranian government responsible for the attack, committed by Saudi members of Hezbollah. The court ordered Iran to pay $254 million to victims of the attack.
In June 1985, TWA flight 847 flying from Athens, Greece, was hijacked by Hezbollah operatives. U.S. Navy Diver Robert Stetham was brutally murdered and dumped on the tarmac.
CIA Station chief William Buckley was kidnapped and tortured for 14 months before his body was found in 1985. During the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, Iran and Hezbollah provided improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that targeted U.S. troops, killing over 600 Americans.
Let’s be clear: Hezbollah’s terror threat hasn’t disappeared—it has evolved. A 2022 study from George Washington University identified 128 cases of Hezbollah activity within America, confirming what we’ve long warned: their sleeper cells remain active, agile, and ready to strike. Meanwhile, Biden and his bureaucrats spent their years in power obsessing over phantom threats of “white supremacy,” diverting precious FBI resources away from the real menace of radical Islamic terrorism. Now, our intelligence agencies are scrambling to regain ground lost due to Biden’s dangerous incompetence.
Biden’s reckless open-border policies have further compounded our vulnerability. Former Border Patrol Chief Tom Homan revealed that more than 1,200 Iranian nationals entered the U.S. unvetted under Biden’s watch. How many among these are Hezbollah operatives, now quietly embedded in American cities, waiting for orders from Tehran?
With Iran’s conventional military weakened by Trump-era strikes, Hezbollah and other proxies will return to their terrorist roots, desperate to strike at Americans. Our intelligence community, FBI, and local law enforcement must urgently ramp up their efforts. We must spare no resource, no effort, no vigilance in protecting our homeland from this determined enemy. President Trump understands this threat clearly. Under his leadership, America must remain vigilant, proactive, and uncompromising in our defense of freedom, security, and American lives.
