Iran hostage survivor says Trump 'absolutely' right to launch Operation Epic Fury, finally confront regime

Decades after being held hostage in Tehran, Kevin Hermening believes America has finally gotten Iran policy right.

Hermening, a 20-year-old Marine sergeant at the time, was the youngest of the more than 50 Americans taken captive during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. They were held for 444 days in difficult conditions. The crisis followed the creation of the Islamic Republic and the overthrow of the shah.

He is now praising President Donald Trump’s decisive action on Iran, warning the country cannot be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.

"I do believe that the president absolutely did the right thing for the first time in more than 40 years. In this case, to deny the Iranian regime in their pursuit of nuclear weapons," Hermening said on the "Fox News Rundown" podcast.

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The U.S. and Israel continue to pressure Iran with Operation Epic Fury after the Feb. 28 strikes that resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Hermening was among the first victims of the Islamic Republic, spending over a year in captivity. He described sleeping on a bare box spring and being blindfolded and handcuffed. He also recalled a fellow captive beaten so badly that his teeth broke at the gum line.

"You get on your knees, and you pray that someday you'll be delivered out of that situation," Hermening recalled, speaking with Fox News Radio's Dave Anthony. 

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He argued the Iranian people want to overthrow the regime. But without U.S. help, he said, they are unable to do so because they are unarmed. He pointed to the lack of civilian weaponry as a key reason the Iranian regime has remained in power.

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"If there is ever a textbook case for supporting the Second Amendment, it would be Iran, because the Iranian people don't even have small arms," he said.

Still, he cautioned the White House against installing the next leader. Instead, he said the transition must be Iranian-led, with the U.S. providing support or small arms.

Earlier this month, 19-year-old champion wrestler Saleh Mohammadi and at least two other men were hanged in Iran, sparking fears that a larger wave of killings could be coming. Authorities arrested the three during January’s protests and later sentenced them, saying they killed two officers during the demonstrations.

Hermening is currently seeking the Republican nomination for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. The seat is open after Rep. Tom Tiffany announced he would vacate it to launch a gubernatorial campaign.