On October 1st, Fox News reported a startling revelation: “Iran’s regime officially admitted its role in the terrorist bombing that killed 241 American soldiers, 220 marines, 18 sailors, 3 soldiers, 17 American civilians, and 58 French soldiers in the 1983 terrorist attack in Beirut…”
This revelation is based on a translated text provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). The focus of this report is the remarks of Isa Tabatabai, who served as the representative of Khomeini and later Khamenei in Lebanon. These remarks were made during an interview and were initially published by the Iranian regime’s news agency ‘IRNA’ on September 13. Interestingly, ‘IRNA’ later removed this report from its website, sparking further intrigue.
Isa Tabatabai’s confessions reveal a chilling account:
“With the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Hezbollah was formed. Its military base was established in my house for two years, where more than seventy individuals signed martyrdom contracts. These individuals were provided with the necessary resources. I received a command for a martyrdom operation from the Imam (Khomenei), and he emphasized its permissibility thrice. I attempted to secure a written petition to present as a gift to the Imam’s children (Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad) in Lebanon. On the night of the petition, I composed it and delivered it first thing in the morning. Mr. Saneyi, who received it, returned with the Imam’s response. He affirmed that the Imam found it sincere and honest, stating that even a thousand signatures from others would not change his acceptance. I swiftly went to Lebanon and prepared the ground for the martyrdom operation targeting the Americans and Israelis. The foundation of Hezbollah was laid in the Baalbek region, with the involvement of IRGC personnel.”
The Beirut Barracks Bombings: A Tragic Day in History
October 23, 1983, marked a devastating day in history when the world was shaken by news of a suicide attack on the American and French Marine barracks in Beirut, resulting in 299 deaths. This suicide attack, known in the Iranian regime’s literature as ‘Operation Marines,’ occurred at 6:20 in the morning. Shortly thereafter, another explosion occurred at the French paratroopers’ location. In total, 241 American soldiers, 58 French soldiers, and 6 civilians lost their lives, with hundreds more injured.
The Beirut barracks bombings involved the transportation and detonation of approximately 1,000 kilograms of explosives, equivalent to 15,000 to 21,000 pounds of TNT, within the buildings housing the peacekeepers of the Multinational Forces in Lebanon (MNF), notably the American Marines and the French Armed Forces. These American soldiers were part of the United Nations peacekeeping forces deployed to help end Lebanon’s civil war.
The materials used in this horrific attack, as confirmed by the regime’s media, had an explosive power equivalent to 6,000 kilograms of TNT. At the time, the United States declared it as the largest non-nuclear explosion globally.
Hours after the explosions, an organization called ‘Islamic Jihad,’ created and supported by Iran and Syria, took responsibility for the attack. The United States attributed Hezbollah as responsible for this act of terrorism, further implicating the Iranian regime in the tragedy. Hezbollah also engaged in hostage-taking of Westerners in Lebanon, which the Iranian regime used for political bargaining with Western governments.
It’s worth noting that the mullahs’ regime was initially suspected of involvement in these crimes, but due to Western appeasement policies, formal prosecution of the terrorist regime of Velayat al-Faqih was not pursued.
Isa Tabatabai’s confession is not the first of its kind. In 2003, 20 years after the terrorist operation, the Revolutionary Guards erected a memorial column in honor of the perpetrators in the ‘Martyrs of the Islamic World’ section at Behesht Zahra Cemetery in Tehran. This symbolic gesture conveyed a clear message: ‘Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were responsible for the Peacekeepers building explosion.’
Mehr, a state-run news agency, confirmed this on December 3, 2004, by adding that the memorial stone was inscribed in Persian, English, French, and Arabic languages. The foundation stone read: “The memorial of two young Lebanese Muslims who, on the morning of Sunday, October 23, 1983, during two simultaneous martyrdom operations, attacked the headquarters of the American occupiers (in the south of Beirut) and the headquarters of the French occupiers (in the west of Beirut) with trucks carrying explosives and exploded. Their vehicles killed 241 American marines and 58 French paratroopers; We do not know their names, but we will continue their journey.”
As Mohsen Rafiqdoost, then Minister of the IRGC, declared in 1991, “In the victory of the revolution in Lebanon and in many parts of the world, the United States feels the blow of our fist on its hideous body and knows that those explosives that were mixed with that ideology sent four hundred officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers to hell at once. TNT belonged to Iran, and its ideology came from Iran. This is very noticeable for America, which is why it is helpless in the Persian Gulf.”
Isa Tabatabai’s confession reinforces the notion that many of the major terrorist operations globally can be attributed to the Iranian regime as the primary orchestrator of global terrorism. Obscure names like ‘Islamic Jihad’ serve as a smokescreen, masking Iran’s role as the chief instigator of merciless terror attacks. This confession further highlights that Lebanon’s Hezbollah, created by the mullahs’ regime, is also a terrorist organization. Isa Tabatabai asserts, “With the victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran, Hezbollah was formed.”
