President Donald Trump is facing harsh criticism after he shared a music video featuring the 1980 song "Bomb Iran"—a parody of The Regents song "Barbara Ann" that is best known for being covered by the Beach Boys—amid a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that could further inflame tensions in the Middle East.
The controversial parody song by Vince Vance & the Valiants plays over footage of B-2 stealth bombers, the same aircraft used to drop 14 GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities, including the Fordow enrichment plant, Natanz complex, and Isfahan site.
The lyrics, widely condemned as inflammatory, include lines such as “bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran,” and “went to a mosque, gonna throw some rocks.” They also echo Trump’s threats against Iran’s Supreme Leader, saying “tell the Ayatollah: gonna put you in a box” and threatening to “turn Iran into a parking lot.”
Originally written in reaction to the 1979–1981 Iran hostage crisis—when Iranian militants seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held 66 Americans for 444 days—the song channels the anger and frustration many Americans felt at the time. The crisis, which paralyzed Jimmy Carter’s presidency and underscored perceptions of American weakness, played a significant role in Ronald Reagan’s 1980 election victory.
You can see the video below.
Many have condemned Trump for sharing the video and citing concerns it—along with his other actions—could compromise national security.
The White House has not issued a statement on the video or on Trump's decision to share it.
Ironically, Trump posted the video shortly after admonishing Israel and Iran for violating a ceasefire agreement he'd announced on Truth Social. Although he claimed the ceasefire had been "agreed upon," Iran fired at least six missile barrages at Israel after it was supposed to take effect.
Trump told reporters that the two countries "have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the f**k they're doing"—which sounds like a classic case of projection.