Iran's cluster bombs on Tel Aviv neighborhoods vs Israel's roof-knocking warnings

If the first step in seeking truth is understanding the legal authority behind the headlines, the second is understanding the "why." In our previous look at the "TikTok mentality," we saw how social media amnesia ignores 70 years of history regarding presidential power. Today, we move beyond the algorithm and the constitutional debate to examine the reality of Tehran's nuclear ambitions and the legacy of its leadership.

Another question echoes across social media feeds: “Why is Israel doing this?” Some have even posted tearful tributes to Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, portraying him as a victim of Western aggression. Let us be honest with history, for decades, Israel has warned that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose an existential threat. American and Israeli leaders, Democrats and Republicans alike, have repeatedly stated that “Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon,” often followed by the phrase: “all options are on the table.”

In 2008, Hillary Clinton described Iran as an “existential threat” to Israel, warning that if Iran were to attack Israel, the United States could “totally obliterate” them. In 2015, Marco Rubio warned that a “bad deal with Iran… almost guarantees war,” arguing that a weak agreement would force Israel to take action.

On the other side, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei presided over a system that crushed dissent and armed militant groups throughout the region. During the recent wave of protests, he acknowledged that “thousands” had been killed. Human rights organizations have documented widespread shootings of protesters and large-scale repression, even if precise figures, such as the “30,000 to 50,000” deaths cited by some, cannot be firmly verified by open sources.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Quds Force, under his ultimate authority, are designated as terrorist entities for their support of groups like Hezbollah and for attacks against civilians and U.S. forces. One may choose not to label Khamenei himself a “terrorist” in the strict legal sense, but we must be intellectually honest: he led a system that armed terrorist militias and fired upon its own people.

When a regime like this edges closer to nuclear capability while arming proxies that fire on civilians, it becomes clear why Israel and its allies view Iran’s words as existential threats rather than mere rhetoric. In that light, the current strikes are not a random outburst of aggression, but the culmination of decades of stated red lines finally being enforced.

The world often accuses Israel of conducting an “inhumane” war. Yet, years of evidence continue to show that Israel possesses what is likely the most ethical army in the world, warning residents in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran of military targets and allowing them time to evacuate. IDF “roof-knocking” techniques and evacuation warnings are documented in UN and HRW reports, despite the criticisms. For Israel, life has value!

Yet, in the face of current Iranian attacks, the fact that Iran is attacking another country with ballistic missiles seems to disturb no one. Iran is targeting civilian areas in Israel, including through the use of cluster munitions, firing ballistic missiles loaded with cluster warheads into populated residential neighborhoods rather than clearly defined military targets.

The world's reaction to these weapons is often dictated by the CCM treaty, for many secular analysts, this means no 'rule' broken. But Isaiah warns: 'Woe to those who call evil good and good evil' (Isaiah 5:20) - a loophole signed in Geneva changes nothing before God's eyes.

The 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) prohibits these weapons. Although major powers, including the United States, Israel, and Iran, are not parties to this treaty, the moral weight remains. If we believe that moral responsibility vanishes simply because a state has not signed a treaty, our ethics are hollow. The God who hates “hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:17) does not first ask whether a government filed the correct administrative paperwork.

So, "why is Israel striking Iran?" The answer is simple for anyone who chooses to look at the facts found in 47 years of history: because a regime that slaughters its own protesters, arms global terror proxies, and advances toward nuclear weapons while firing cluster munitions into residential neighborhoods cannot be allowed to make good on its threats of annihilation!

Understanding this grim reality doesn't mean celebrating war, but rejecting the selective outrage that ignores decades of warnings while mourning all innocent blood shed. In Part 3, we turn from earthly conflict to eternal promise, what it means for Israel to be "the apple of His eye" and how believers can align their hearts with God's sovereign purposes.