OPINION:
Recently, officials in the Department of the Treasury announced a new round of sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Biden administration is trying to pass these measures off as an act of strength, but they are really emblematic of weakness. The time for sanctions has passed; the time for real action is here.
Kicking off with his disastrous retreat from Afghanistan, President Biden has squandered the strong position in the Middle East his administration inherited. The 2020 Abraham Accords represented a historic moment for the region. Old rivals put aside their differences to present a united front against Iranian aggression. Without American strength backing the deal, though, Iran has been able to undo some of the progress made under the previous administration.
China has taken advantage of Mr. Biden’s weakness to become the Middle East’s newest power player. Diplomats from China recently negotiated a thaw in relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia that could undermine much of the good work achieved through the Abraham Accords. This deal will not only strengthen China’s ability to exploit the Middle East’s natural resources but also relieve the strategic pressure Iran has been facing.
Iran is the most junior partner in an emerging Eurasian axis that aims to roll back American influence in the world. Beyond the diplomatic assistance China and Russia provide the Islamic Republic, they are also cooperating more and more closely in military affairs. Recent reporting revealed, for instance, that Iran is in advanced stages of talks with China and Russia to gain access to material to make thousands of new ballistic missiles.
Iran is also directly helping Russia on the battlefield in Ukraine. Russian forces have been using Iranian-made drones, especially the Shehed-136, to kill countless Ukrainian soldiers and untold numbers of civilians. With Russian President Vladimir Putin as isolated as he is on the world stage, this Iranian military aid has been essential to prolonging his invasion.
It should be clear at this point that Iran’s ultimate and consistent goal is to undermine American national security. Anywhere in the world where the Islamic Republic can act against U.S. interests or allies, it does. Iran’s hostility is unbridled.
Yet the Biden administration persists in the hope that negotiations can prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon. The latest sanctions are designed as a mere slap on the wrist, as the administration fears that any stronger action would scare Iran away from the negotiating table. But in the end, minor consequences like these will do little to deter aggression. The United States needs to take bolder steps.
First, Mr. Biden should unequivocally support the protests against the murderous Iranian regime. Although he expressed “solidarity” with the Iranian people last fall, he has taken no real action to help them overthrow the tyrants ruling them. A good place to start would be a meeting at the White House with Reza Pahlavi II, a prominent Iranian dissident leader living in the United States and the eldest son of Reza Pahlavi, the last shah of Iran.
Next, Mr. Biden needs to reassure Middle Eastern allies that the United States will continue to lead on the ground in the region. After the fall of Kabul, many regional leaders have lost their faith in America; promises of “over the horizon” anti-terror activity do little to assuage their fears of Iranian aggression. U.S.-led joint military exercises with countries that signed the Abraham Accords would send a strong signal, as would another trip to the Middle East by Mr. Biden himself.
Finally, the administration must formally announce it will take whatever action necessary to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon — and back it with a show of true force. The regime is rushing toward a nuclear breakout as quickly as it can. It could produce a bomb in a matter of months. Unless the United States takes a hard line now and actually acts to deter aggression, a nuclear Iran would utterly upend the fragile order of the Middle East.
Of all the presidents in recent memory, Mr. Biden’s foreign policy has been the weakest. On his watch, China has ramped up its threats against Taiwan, Russia has launched a genocidal invasion of a Western country, and Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon than ever. Unless something changes quickly, Americans could be witnessing the death of their country’s leading role on the world stage.
• Michael Lucchese is the founder of Pipe Creek Consulting, a communications firm based in Washington. Previously, he was a communications aide to former Sen. Ben Sasse. He graduated from Hillsdale College in 2018, and in 2017 was a political studies fellow at the Hudson Institute. His writing has also appeared in National Review and the Washington Examiner.
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