On January 3, the Trump administration launched a drone strike that assassinated one of Iran’s leading military commanders, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad, Iraq. The move drew swift condemnation and concern from both Democrats and Republicans over whether escalation at this level could lead to more instability in the region or even a potential war with Iran.

Fox News has responded by attacking Democrats and mainstream media figures who are questioning the consequences of the strike, suggesting critics are un-American, desperate to hate the president, or even siding with Iranian terrorists. (Fox News is not, though, lashing out at far-right critics of U.S. military actions even as those critics get disproportionate attention.)

The U.S. strike that killed Soleimani represents a major escalation in the region, as the general was a powerful figure in Iran and many in the country view him as a heroic figure. Tensions continued to escalate following the strike, as Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of “harsh revenge” and President Donald Trump responded by threatening to bomb Iranian cultural sites -- a potential war crime. Thousands attended Soleimani’s funeral procession in Iran, leading to a stampede that resulted in the deaths of at least 50 people.

The Trump administration has offered little transparency about why it chose to kill Soleimani at this moment, providing only vague justifications that Iran was planning an “imminent attack” on Americans. (Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seemed to pivot from that claim during interviews on Sunday news shows.)

The Trump administration’s promise that this dramatic escalation was based on classified evidence is reminiscent of the George W. Bush administration’s insistence that the 2003 invasion of Iraq was justified because of supposed weapons of mass destruction -- a justification that, it was later revealed, was largely based on lies and misrepresentations. Additionally, it was only one month ago that The Washington Post released a trove of documents showing that U.S. officials across multiple administrations “failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign, making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable.”

The doubts about going to another war in the wake of Iraq and Afghanistan wars is compounded by the fact that Trump has lied thousands of times during his presidency, and his administration’s policy regarding Iran has been largely inconsistent and represents no clear strategy.

Despite the myriad reasons Americans would have to question or express concerns about the Trump administration's credibility when it comes to Iran, Fox News has gone on the offensive, attacking Democrats and the media and seizing on Soleimani’s dark record as the architect of Iran’s modern military operations, which have resulted in the deaths of American service members in Iraq.

Many on Fox have smeared critics of Trump’s Iran policy as anti-American, choosing to side with terrorists over giving Trump “a victory lap” -- though notably, Fox primetime host Tucker Carlson has remained free from criticism by the network, despite being one of Trump's strongest critics regarding the Iran strike. Some have insisted that Democrats and the media accurately reporting that Soleimani was revered by many in Iran are “praising” him and have claimed that Democrats are choosing to ignore Soleimani’s record as a “savage” and “the most dangerous man in the world.” (In reality, many Democrats who have criticized the Trump administration still acknowledged that Soleimani committed hateful acts against the U.S.) Fox personalities have also chastised critics for not sufficiently praising Trump, insisting that Soleimani’s military record justifies any potential consequences that may arise from his death.

Fox Business host Lou Dobbs said, “As President Trump carries out his responsibilities to protect and defend America, statements by many of the radical Dems suggest they are more aligned with Iranian interests than those of the United States.” Dobbs also claimed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave “outrageous support of a dead Iranian terrorist” that was parroted by other Democrats. Dobbs concluded that the Democrats, “without hesitation, chose to defend evil and criticize President Trump’s decision to destroy evil.”