The United States of America — mistakenly, according to its National Security Strategy unveiled just two months ago — was, over the years, made to shoulder the burden of problems unfolding in other parts of the world. Donald Trump has tried to draw a sharp distinction with previous Republican presidents, such as Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, who made the so-called export of democracy a part of their foreign policy visions. But over the past few days, Mr Trump has broken with that worldview, threatening to attack Iran over its deadly crackdown on protesters. Mr Trump is apparently reviewing a range of military options against Tehran. After the brazen abduction of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, from Caracas, nothing is beyond the realm of possibility anymore. The US president on Monday also announced additional 25% tariffs on products from all countries that trade with Iran. While China is by far Iran’s biggest trading partner, India, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and others could also be hit.

Mr Trump has, in fact, attacked other countries over the past year. Iran’s nuclear facilities were bombed last June; Nigeria was hit in December, Venezuela in January, and Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Somalia have also been struck. But in every instance — until now — Mr Trump has claimed that US missions have been motivated by national security concerns. Even his claim over Greenland is rooted, officially at least, in the argument that US national security requires control over the Arctic island. Now, though, as he threatens to bomb Iran over how Tehran treats its own citizens, he seems to be embracing the philosophy of the very predecessors he has long dismissed. The Iranian government’s brutal repression of its citizens deserves the strongest condemnation. With authorities turning off the internet and telecommunications systems, the full sale of the killings in Iran is still unclear. But the role of US sanctions in devastating the lives of the very Iranians Mr Trump now claims to want to help cannot be forgotten. Nor can the US’s role in weakening Iranian democracy through the 1953 coup be ignored. Ordinary Iranians deserve better from their own government as well as sincere global support untarnished by the horrific legacy of America’s past involvement in Iran.