Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mandela Barnes once wished Iran’s Supreme Leader a “wonderful year” in a tweet that has received renewed scrutiny following American airstrikes on Iran.
Gubernatorial candidate and former Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes once wished a “wonderful year” to Iran’s Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Khamenei, in a tweet that has received renewed scrutiny following Saturday’s bombing of multiple targets in Iran.
“The first tweet of 2015 from [the Ayatollah] is #BlackLivesMatter,” Barnes wrote in response to Khamenei in the very early morning hours of January 1, 2015. “Let that sink in. May This be a most wonderful year for you and yours.”
Early Saturday morning, President Trump announced that U.S. forces, in coordination with Israel, had launched “major combat operations” against Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury. The strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile production sites, naval assets, and key military leadership to eliminate threats from the regime and prevent nuclear weapon development.
Trump stated in a Truth Social video that the action defends American interests after failed negotiations, vowing to devastate Iran’s capabilities while urging its people to seize the opportunity for regime change and freedom. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases and Israel, escalating regional tensions.
