Conservative organizer and activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed by an unknown assassin on Wednesday, had praised the Iranian-American community and supported US attacks on the Islamic Republic in June while generally supporting its foe Israel.
A video clip of him debating on a university campus has been widely shared by Iranians on social media and depicts him lauding immigrants from Iran as hardworking and successful in any field they pursue in the United States.
Kirk was engaging with students on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and asserted that Iranians fleeing their homeland succeeded admirably due in America's free-market economy and merit-based system.
“Iranians, Persians, you guys do not need DEI. You are the most successful immigrant group in America by far, because you are some of the smartest, hardest-working people, and you did that without any favors or handouts,” Kirk said.
“Persians have benefited from the idea: do not give me anything, do not give stuff, just give me a chance. And because of that, Persians or former Iranians are some of the wealthiest groups in the history of America,” he added.
The American left would seek to class Iranians as white, Kirk said, to deprive them of their deserved status and privilege other minorities.
'NO WAR'
Despite opposing US military entanglements in the Middle East for years, Kirk broke with some of US President Trump's other staunch supporters by strongly supporting his decision to launch attacks on three major nuclear sites on June 22.
In 2020, Kirk had warned against a war with Iran following Trump's move to assassinate Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Iraq.
"Iran is an evil regime It was correct to meet an embassy attack with force. Critical we remain restrained and disciplined against another endless, reckless war in the region. Our future is not in the Middle East Sand and death will further bankrupt us," he said. "NO WAR with Iran!"
A week after Israel launched its surprise military campaign on Iran in June but less than two days before Trump's intervention, Kirk was dubious about confronting Tehran.
“This was Persia. This is a very proud country. It’s a big country; it’s two and a half times the size of Texas. 92 million people," Kirk said in a podcast interview. "So President Trump has to weigh all of this. He has earned our trust and, I believe, he’s gonna bring this to completion for the betterment of all Americans,”
Kirk argued against US military involvement, citing Iran's historic resistance to outside powers.
“They were a great power for a thousand years. Not even the Romans could defeat Persia. Now, I’m not saying they’re comparable to our Marines or to our Air Force, but is that really the battle that we want in front of us?” Kirk said.
Still, Kirk swiftly praised the attacks dubbed "Operation Midnight Hammer" which Trump promptly said had obliterated Iran's nuclear program.
"America stands with President Trump," he wrote on X. "President Trump has been navigating this quite well in fact, he could potentially declare victory," he added in a video testimonial posted online.
"He went after the nuclear program, no US troops killed in the way, pretty remarkable when you think about it."
Key allies of Trump on the right including Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and commentator Tucker Carlson criticized the move.
Despite raising some doubts about Israel's conduct of a nearly two-year-old war in Gaza, Kirk expressed frequent support for the Jewish state and described it as a bulwark of what he called Judeo-Christian civilization against violent Islamism.
