There are fewer and fewer constraints on the Islamic Republic of Iran. The continuing Iranian attempts to assassinate Americans on American soil are a pressing matter of concern. The FBI has foiled sophisticated Iranian murder plans targeting former national security council John Bolton and erstwhile Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in recent months. They continue to get round-the-clock protection in light of this danger, just like other former Trump administration officials. An unavoidable expense, this security measure costs taxpayers millions of dollars every single month.
Some people haven’t been as lucky. Iranian-American dissident journalist Masih Alinejad is a prime target for the dictatorship of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who despises her for the moral courage she has shown. Spies from Iran planned to abduct Alinejad from her New York apartment in 2021. In July, an AK-47-wielding man was charged with stalking Alinejad’s residence.
Salman Rushdie, who is on death row in Iran for penning “The Satanic Verses,” was stabbed many times in mid-August. Iranian official media praise his would-be murderer, a supporter of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah.
Joe Biden should engage Iran over these heinous attacks inspired or directed by its theocratic leadership. Instead, he issues sporadic indictments and sends lower-ranking government officials to softly rebuke Tehran. After the Iranian government has successfully killed an American on American territory, national security adviser Jake Sullivan issues a dire warning.
Biden should take nuclear missiles seriously even if he won’t discuss Iranian assassins. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Biden has been in office for over 20 months, and despite his campaign promise to renegotiate a stronger nuclear pact with Iran, he continues to go along with Tehran’s demands. Iran demands more and more when sanctions are eased and Biden seems desperate to reach a deal. Foreign Secretary Antony Blinken has been sounding the alarm for over a year now, warning that a new agreement is needed before it expires. The risks are obvious, given Iran’s track record of secret nuclear work and its brazen work on ballistic missiles (ridiculously disguised as “satellite launches”). According to experts, Iran has amassed enough fissile nuclear material to produce a nuclear bomb in a matter of months.
Iran must never get their hands on the ability to create nuclear weapons. The Iran Nuclear Deal is BAD for America, Israel, and the world.
Biden and the Democrats are putting America LAST by bending the knee to the Iranian regime. https://t.co/pj1pdm1FMT
— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) August 26, 2022
Israeli officials are justifiably worried about the second holocaust that Iranian leaders have frequently threatened for their country. Despite the disadvantage the American president is giving him, Prime Minister Yair Lapid has made a point of showing respect for President Joe Biden. Instead of speaking out publicly against Biden’s approach to Iran talks, Lapid has voiced his concerns to the president in private. However, Lapid has had difficulty even getting a phone call from the president, let alone a face-to-face encounter. Meanwhile, Iran appears to have the upper hand and an infinite amount of time.
Iran’s expanding misbehavior in the Middle East is demonstrated by drone and missile attacks against U.S. forces in Syria. Biden has ordered delayed retaliatory attacks, but they were small and ineffective. Meanwhile, the media remains preoccupied with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s alleged involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Iran is busy further destabilizing the region.
Militias backed by Iran are fomenting violence and preventing the establishment of a new government in Baghdad. Hezbollah, a paramilitary movement backed by Iran, has been using violence in Lebanon to thwart the kind of democratic reform that has been requested by the country’s citizens and potential foreign investors. Uncontrolled inflation and bank runs are the outcome of Iranian influence. The toll on humanity is high. Collapse of the state and a new civil war are also possible outcomes.
The Iranians are pleased, and Biden doesn’t seem to mind. Despite the widespread acts of terrorism and destruction, he has not responded with strong sanctions. He also hasn’t tried to unite the globe in opposition to Iran’s double dealing. The United States is losing credibility with regional allies and its position as the world’s leading advocate for democracy as a result of President Biden’s silence.
The “maximum pressure” policy that the Trump administration has adopted towards Iran has been heavily condemned by Biden and his top officials. And yet, all they seem to be delivering is maximum weakness. Iran detects weakness and takes great pleasure in it.