FoxNews.com reports that

Anti-government protests erupted at Iranian universities across the country on Saturday, following Iran’s claim that it unintentionally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane with surface-to-air missiles, killing all 176 people who were on board.

Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s aerospace division, had told state TV that his unit accepts “full responsibility” for shooting down the Ukrainian aircraft, just minutes after it took off from Tehran’s international airport on Wednesday. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blamed “human error” in a tweet Friday, and called it a “great tragedy and unforgivable mistake.”

Students called for the resignation of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with one protester holding up a banner that read, “F–k you & your mistake,” at Amir Kabir University, the New York Post reported. The banner also showed the names and photos of 16 students who died in the crash.

Crowds of students chanted for the Revolutionary Guards to “let go of the country!” and also mentioned deceased Gen. Qassem Soleimani, saying that he “was a murderer” and “his leader is too!” President Trump had ordered the drone strike on Solemani and declared the world a safer place following his death.

Trump tweeted a message of support to the protesters on Saturday, in both Persian and English, promising that his administration would continue to stand with them in solidarity.

“To the brave, long-suffering people of Iran: I’ve stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you. We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage,” Trump’s first tweet read.

The president quickly followed up with a second tweet, calling on Iran to allow human rights advocates to monitor major protests within the country, and warning against any draconian government action.

“The government of Iran must allow human rights groups to monitor and report facts from the ground on the ongoing protests by the Iranian people,” Trump wrote. “There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also weighed in on the protests, tweeting Saturday that the Iranian people have every right to be frustrated and deserve a brighter future.

“The voice of the Iranian people is clear. They are fed up with the regime’s lies, corruption, ineptitude, and brutality of the IRGC under @khamenei_ir’s kleptocracy,” he said.

“We stand with the Iranian people who deserve a better future,” Pompeo added.

The State Department echoed Pompeo’s remarks with their own video tweet, saying “The Iranian people continue their protests against the lies, incompetence, and cruelty of the ayatollah’s regime.”

Protests were also reportedly held at three other Universities in Tehran.

Gentle Readers, this has been a long time coming.

Are you old enough to remember the Iranian Hostage Crisis? If not, here is a summary, courtesy of u-s-history.com:

On November 4, 1979, an angry mob of some 300 to 500 “students” who called themselves “Imam’s Disciples,” laid siege to the American Embassy in Teheran, Iran, to capture and hold hostage 66 U.S. citizens and diplomats. Although women and African-Americans were released a short time later, 51 hostages remained imprisoned for 444 days with another individual released because of illness midway through the ordeal.

…Upon the death of the shah in July [1980] (which neutralized one demand) and the Iraqi invasion of Iran in September (necessitating weapons acquisition), Iran became more amenable to reopening negotiations for the hostages’ release.

In the late stages of the presidential race with Ronald Reagan, Carter, given those new parameters, might have been able to bargain with the Iranians, which might have clinched the election for him. The 11th-hour heroics were dubbed an “October Surprise”* by the Reagan camp — something they did not want to see happen.

Allegations surfaced that William Casey, director of the Reagan campaign, and some CIA operatives, secretly met with Iranian officials in Europe to arrange for the hostages’ release, but not until after the election. If true, some observers aver, dealing with a hostile foreign government to achieve a domestic administration’s defeat would have been grounds for charges of treason.

Reagan won the election, partly because of the failure of the Carter administration to bring the hostages home. Within minutes of Reagan’s inauguration, the hostages were released.

In stark, terrifying contrast, the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama, purposely and surreptitiously handed a Rogue State of Radical Muslim Barbarians the means of the destruction of both the United States of America and  our staunch ally, Israel, with his toothless “Nuclear Agreement”

Why did the President of these United States, Barack Hussein Obama, trust Iran, an enemy of freedom, to stand by its “Agreement” to refrain from nuking the United States of America and Israel?

He gave Iran everything they wanted: their money, nuclear capability, and acquiescence by the Government of the United States of America, literally, encouraging the world’s population of Islamic Terrorists to kidnap our own Naval Personnel, with the promise of a huge payday, while he remained president.

Happily, as I have written before, there is now an AMERICAN PRESIDENT in the Oval Office.

One who is not afraid to support those yearning to be free who are currently trapped under the tyrannical rule of despots.

Foreign Leaders, who enjoyed the advantage that they had under the weak and vacillating Foreign Policy of Barack Hussein Obama, did not want the United States to regain our position as the Leader of the Free World.

And, they certainly do not like the fact that we have a President who will honor our friendship with our ally, Israel.

That is why they feared a Trump Presidency.

It was far more lucrative for them, when the United States “negotiated from a position of weakness”, when we had a vacillating dhimmi in the White House.

Now, they have to negotiate with an American President who has mastered “The Art of the Deal”.

…one who places America and her best interests, first.

And, an Iranian People freed from the rule of the Mad Mullahs is in the best interest of the United States of America.

Trump knows full well that Iran is a state sponsor of Radical Islamic Terrorism. He knows that they are bullies who will lie to your face, as they did to our naïve Former President, when he made his “Gentlemen’s Agreement” with them concerning the development of nuclear weapons.

As they found out when General Quassem Soleimani was sent to meet his 72 virgins (which all looked like Kathy Griffin), they had better be careful if they continue to test President Trump’s and our nation’s resolve. Plain and simple.

Just like President Reagan sent a guided missile straight into Libyan Madman Moamar Kadhafi’s bedroom, President Trump took out a two-car military motorcade and got the attention of the Radical Islamic Mullahs who govern the Rogue Country of Iran.

After all, bullies with think twice if you stand up to them and give them something to think about.

Ask the bully in 7th grade whom I hit square between the eyes with my 2s (Tom) drumsticks.

He never bothered me again.

Before the Iranian Revolution, Iran was a nation on it’s way to modernization.

When the Iranian Revolution broke out, lead by the Radical Islamists, a wonderful family, friends of the Shah, escaped the barbarians who were laying waste to what was once a vibrant nation.

He was an engineer. She was an English Professor at the University of Tehran. They had two young children, a boy and a girl.

He decided to leave his family here and to travel back to Iran to check on his family and try to get them out.

He was never heard from again.

They are the type of people who deserve to be free from the tyranny of the Mad Mullahs of Iran.

Thank you for standing with them, Mr. President.

Also, thank you for recognizing that you simply cannot expect any sort of civilized negotiations with the Radical Islamists who rule Iran.

Treat them as barbarians who murder their own people with no remorse.

For that is indeed, who they are.

Abraham Lincoln once said,

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it.

For the sake of those Iranian citizens who are so desperate to free themselves from the bondage of Radical Islam, I pray that Lincoln was right.

Until He Comes,

KJ