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Tensions with Iran are high 鈥� and keep getting higher.听

To thwart Tehran鈥檚 suspected nuclear program, the United States has tightened sanctions against the country, and now Europe has agreed to end its purchase of Iranian oil.

Iran has met the sanctions with threats: to close the vital Strait of Hormuz 鈥� and worse. In fact, Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently ordered the regime鈥檚 armed forces to prepare for war. In his State of the Union address, President Obama, who has long urged diplomacy with Iran, asserted that 鈥淎merica is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal.鈥� Congress cheered.

The views on 鈥渨hat to do with Iran鈥� are heated. We recently published an op-ed from two former US hostages in Iran, L. Bruce Laingen and John Limbert, who give 鈥淔ive reasons to avoid war with Iran.鈥� Earlier this week we ran a contrasting view from Council on Foreign Relations fellow Matthew Kroenig. He offers 鈥淔ive reasons to attack Iran.鈥�

Our readers on 听had strong and plentiful reactions to the two pieces. We鈥檝e selected and excerpted some of the most compelling comments below.

We asked: Do you agree with the opinion of this commentator? 鈥�5 Reasons to attack Iran鈥�

Joel Slentz

"Absolutely not. The only justifiable reason to go to war with Iran is if Iran attacks an ally. If Pakistan (the country that was borderline harboring Osama bin Laden under our noses) is allowed to have nuclear weapons, then why can鈥檛 Iran? That鈥檚 like telling the US that they can鈥檛 have nuclear weapons, but Mexico can. Also, when was the last time Iran invaded the Western hemisphere? Oh wait, that鈥檚 right, THEY HAVEN鈥橳. But we have invaded Iraq and Afghanistan 鈥� two countries, which by the way, neighbor Iran 鈥� so wouldn鈥檛 it make sense for Iran to try to deter the US?"

Phil Reed听

"A nuclear-armed Iran will learn what every other nuclear-armed state already knows: The weapons themselves are the bluntest of instruments. An Iran with one or even 10 or 20 nuclear missiles cannot credibly threaten nuclear war because it would be, essentially, nuclear suicide; the US, Russia, and China still have overwhelming nuclear superiority over it and will for the forseeable future. As for whether it will increase the rate of proliferation; certainly, but Iran isn鈥檛 the first to introduce nuclear weapons to the region. That would be Israel, followed by Pakistan and Syria."

Mark Farley听

"NO! Pre-emptive strikes are usually a bad idea. I鈥檝e said it before, and I鈥檒l keep saying it until enough people listen: It鈥檚 time for the US to stop going around being the world鈥檚 policeman. The US government should continue doing what it鈥檚 already doing, namely, working hand-in-hand with her allies to be a single, focused entity in this matter, as well as all other matters of international import."

听Coco Smith听

"...[B]oth Russia and China have warned us about attacking Iran. China is economically dependent on the United States, but oil dependent on Iran, and unless Saudi Arabia steps in to fill the vacuum, I doubt they will endorse an attack on Iran from the United States. In fact, I think the United States is overreacting as usual, and I鈥檇 say the problem here is American 鈥渆xceptionalism鈥� going head to head with what the author called Iran鈥檚 鈥済rossly inflated view of their place in the world鈥�."

Mary Cubillan听

鈥淭he problem is Iran鈥檚 leaders not their civilians or children.鈥�

Chris Kohler听

鈥淣o, I do not agree completely with the writer. But, the way things appear, I would say that warring on Iran is inevitable.鈥�

A day later we posted this:

Opinion: Five reasons US must avoid war with Iran. Any that you would remove/add to the list?

Sam Kennedy听

鈥淚ran is the only country with/without nukes that has openly and repeatedly hinted and threatened that they want to erase the Jews from the map. And people think it鈥檚 a good idea for them to have nukes? Then why did the UN put sanctions on them? Gee, a clerical regime of an Islamic republic...engaged in multiple terrorist acts, knowingly supplying, arming, training, funding, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Madi army in Iraq...and now supporting the Assad regime [in Syria]? Maybe that鈥檚 the big difference between Iran and other countries with nukes? Oh, and what other muslim countries were [reportedly] directly affiliated with Hitler and the Nazis in WWII? Hmm. Ya you鈥檙e right, we should just let them have nukes and mind our own business. Ya.鈥�

Romeo Vanegas听

鈥淭he US will be poorer since it costs money to...wage wars with other nations and will cause more civil unrest due to the current economic standing in the US.鈥�

Kevin J. O鈥機onner

鈥淏ecause it鈥檚 a huge waste of human life, money, and a number of other resources.听

I would also add that:

Whether the US government likes it or not, Iran is a sovereign nation, and should be able to determine its own policies and courses of action.

The US stance that it can have nuclear weapons but other nations cannot is hypocritical.

The former Soviet block must have hundreds, if not thousands of nuclear weapons; China probably does, too. Not to mention however many Pakistan has. And North Korea. Where is the rush to act militarily against any of these countries? I鈥檓 guessing it鈥檚 primarily hiding behind the realization that Russia and China probably have enough nukes to take out the US and/or Europe.

Iran with *a* nuclear weapon is a threat to the US? IRAN? Does the US government really think that the Iranian government is *that* competent?鈥�

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