“Zero American Lives Lost”: Facebook Post Praises Trump’s Strike on Iranian General.
A Facebook post comparing how two U.S. presidents handled Middle East threats is getting attention online, with the author praising President Trump’s 2020 strike on Iranian General Qassem Soleimani while criticizing the approach to Iraq under President Bush.
The post, shared by a user named Anonymous, argues that Trump showed stronger leadership by acting quickly without putting American troops in danger.
“Under weak leadership, America was told Saddam Hussein was such a dire threat that it required 170,000 troops, an 8-year occupation, and the tragic loss of over 4,400 American lives—plus trillions in treasure and countless wounded—to remove him,” the post reads.
The user contrasts that with Trump’s decision to target Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds Force, in a drone strike near Baghdad International Airport in January 2020.
“Under strong leadership, President Trump looked at Ayatollah Khamenei—the alleged architect of global terrorism, sponsor of Hezbollah, Hamas, and attacks that killed Americans—and handled the threat decisively: 12 hours, 900 missiles, zero American casualties,” the post continues.
The January 3, 2020 strike killed Soleimani, who was widely seen as the second most powerful figure in Iran after the Supreme Leader. The Pentagon said at the time that Soleimani was planning attacks on Americans in the region.
The operation used a drone, not missiles as mentioned in the post. No U.S. troops were on the ground during the strike.
At the time, Trump defended the action, saying Soleimani was responsible for deaths of American troops and should have been killed years ago.
The Facebook post claims Iranians cheered in the streets after Soleimani’s death. Videos from that period did show some people celebrating in parts of Iran and Iraq, though many others mourned his loss.
The post also says: “The left will cry about ‘escalation’ and ‘human rights,’ but the Iranian people cheering in the streets know the truth: a monster is gone, and freedom just took a massive step forward.”
Critics at the time warned the strike could lead to a wider war with Iran. Days later, Iran launched missiles at bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops, causing traumatic brain injuries to more than 100 service members. No one was killed.
The Facebook post compares the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which toppled Saddam Hussein after a nine-year conflict, with a single targeted killing in another country.
The Iraq war began under President Bush after intelligence—later disputed—suggested Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. More than 4,400 U.S. service members died during the conflict, and estimates of Iraqi civilian deaths range into the hundreds of thousands.
The Soleimani strike was a single operation in a different country, targeting one individual. Iran did not respond with all-out war, though tensions remain high.
The post has drawn comments from users on both sides. Some agree with the author’s view that Trump showed stronger leadership by avoiding a long ground war. Others argue the situations are too different to compare directly.
“Two completely different enemies in two different times. Not fair to compare,” one user commented.
Another wrote: “Zero American losses is always the goal. We should remember that.”
The author ends the post with strong praise for Trump’s approach: “That’s leadership. That’s America First. The contrast couldn’t be clearer.”
“Zero American Lives Lost”: Facebook Post Praises Trump’s Strike on Iranian General.
