Should U.S. HUNT WAR CRIMINALS in Iran!?

If Iran’s regime collapses, a U.S. security analyst warns that Washington must hunt down the operatives responsible for killing American troops or risk legitimizing future proxy warfare.

At a Glance

An op-ed by Michael Rubin argues that if Iran’s regime collapses, the U.S. must investigate and detain IRGC and Quds Force operatives linked to U.S. troop deaths.

Rubin cites Iran’s use of proxies in Iraq after 2003 that allegedly killed hundreds of American soldiers.

He calls for extraditing figures like Hassan Kazemi Qomi and Esmail Qaani, and seizing Quds Force archives.

Rubin compares the effort to the manhunt for Osama Bin Laden and the U.S. theft of Israel’s nuclear archive.

The op-ed was published June 13, 2025, in the National Security Journal and American Enterprise Institute.

Background on Rubin’s Argument

Rubin contends that Iran exploited diplomatic cover to orchestrate lethal insurgencies against U.S. forces following the 2003 Iraq invasion. According to his analysis in the American Enterprise Institute, “most of the explosive-formed projectiles … originated in Iran,” killing American troops while Tehran faced no direct consequences.

He urges future U.S. administrations to lead international efforts to detain high-value Quds Force and IRGC officials. Rubin specifically names Hassan Kazemi Qomi and current Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, calling for their extradition. He advocates leveraging intelligence from Quds Force archives, likening it to Israel’s seizure of Iran’s nuclear documents in 2018.

Strategic and Legal Implications

Rubin frames post-collapse accountability as essential to restoring deterrence. If diplomacy grants de facto immunity to militant operatives, Rubin warns, Iran and other states will interpret it as permission to outsource violence. He compares this to the post-9/11 manhunt for Osama Bin Laden, arguing that justice must be pursued even years after the fact.

To prevent whitewashing past transgressions, Rubin also recommends targeting American citizens who may have served Iranian interests without registering as foreign agents. Legal scrutiny could extend to nonprofits, media platforms, or political operatives who enabled Iranian messaging.

Watch a report: Trump Issues Grave Warning to Iran After Israeli Strikes: ‘No More Death, No More Destruction’.

That June 2025 statement by Donald Trump underscores Rubin’s point: diplomatic dialogue must be backed by credible threats of enforcement. It followed a string of Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear targets, including the killing of IRGC General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and major explosions near the Fordow enrichment site.

What Comes Next?

If the Islamic Republic collapses—through revolution, civil war, or external intervention—the U.S. would face a stark decision: pursue justice or negotiate amnesty. Rubin’s proposal envisions:

• Intelligence-led deployments to identify and detain perpetrators in refugee corridors or urban ruins.
• Trials for commanders such as Qaani, mirroring the legal aftermath of the Yugoslav wars or Rwanda genocide.
• Seizure of operational archives as war crime evidence.
• Domestic legal action against U.S.-based facilitators of Iranian strategic objectives.

Whether American leaders adopt this punitive doctrine or seek rapprochement remains uncertain. But Rubin’s warning is clear: if the U.S. ignores justice in the wake of collapse, it risks repeating history with bloodier consequences.