The United States Navy's guided missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG-111) has returned to its home port of San Diego, California, after a prolonged deployment to the Middle East. The ship's crew are now enjoying some well-deserved downtime, as are the ship's two senior officers, the ship's commander and the executive officer, or XO.
Iran, however, doesn't propose to let those two officers enjoy their down time, instead hurling terroristic threats at them.
Iran’s embassy in South Africa threatened two U.S. Navy officers with a "We will find you" message online as their warship returned to San Diego on Friday after a historic 357-day deployment that included combat against Iranian forces.
The warning, posted on X on Nov. 13 alongside images identifying the USS Spruance’s commanding officer and executive officer, prompted a regional expert to warn that Iran’s public targeting of American service members should set off alarm bells in Washington.
The embassy identified Cmdr. Leigh R. Tate, commanding officer of the Spruance, and Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey E. York, the ship’s executive officer.
Here's the X post.
We will find you.
— Iran Embassy SA (@IraninSA) November 13, 2026
The reaction of every American service member and veteran is almost certainly on the order of "try it, (insert expletive here)."
Here's the thing: This, especially coming as it does from Iran's embassy to South Africa, meaning it was probably issued by some mid-level mid-wit from a Middle Eastern feces-hole working in an African feces-hole, is probably nothing but the kind of meaningless emanation of superheated gas that we are accustomed to seeing from these people. But what happens f they try?
We know there are Iranian nationals in the United States. We know some of them entered illegally, during the four years of Biden administration non-enforcement of the border. We can safely presume some of them are operatives. So, what's the proper reaction of the United States of America if an Iranian national makes an attempt on an American senior military officer right here in the United States?
Well, that should be the time when the gloves come all the way off, and we make an example out of Tehran, the message being "this is what happens when you mess with us." That seems to be the president's intention.
The threat from Iran came a day after President Donald Trump warned Tehran against assassinating senior American officials.
During a Nov. 12 interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump was asked what would happen if Iran killed a senior U.S. official.
"They will not exist very long, any longer," Trump responded.
That's the proper response. If any Iranian operative makes an attempt on any American on our own soil, then load up every B-52, B-1 and B-2 with as much ordnance as they can carry and reduce Tehran to rubble, with the last wave of bombers dropping leaflets with the message, "You FA, you FO."
This is a serious business. It's not at all clear that we should take this specific threat seriously, but we should and must take seriously the fact that threats exist. These won't be mindless goblins, either; they will be trained and motivated regime loyalists, careful and capable.
But they don't have a fleet of strategic bombers. We do. And the mullahs should be made to understand that any such attempt will cost them more than they care to pay.
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