The security successes of the Biden administration's policy toward Iran are now clear.
America is Reaffirmed support If Israel were to enter into an all-out war with Hezbollah, General Charles BrownChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Warned Iran is more likely to act aggressively on Hezbollah's behalf than on Hamas' behalf, he said last weekend, “especially if Iran feels that Hezbollah is under a major threat,” he said, adding that the lethality of the weapons Iran supplies to its proxies would also make it difficult for the U.S. to provide assistance. (Related article: John Teichert: “US-Israel relations have become a political flashpoint. It should not be this way.”)
While acknowledging Israel's right to self-defense, he warned Israel “should think about the collateral consequences of any operation in Lebanon” and how it “would affect not only the region but also our (U.S.) forces in the region.”
General Brown states the obvious. He is correct that Hezbollah is more important to Iran than Hamas; if Israel attacks Iran at a certain level, Hezbollah will be a retaliatory force. He is also correct that Israeli defense policy affects the United States, just as U.S. defense policy choices affect Israel. He did not mention the impact of a relative decline in U.S. defense procurement, which is also important.
This is what happens after appeasement; it is a political choice, not a military one.
In February 2021, the government Released to Iran Korea and The terrorist designation was removed Attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. In 2022,Maritime Border Agreement“Cooperation” with Lebanon was intended to make Hezbollah a “responsible stakeholder.” In the summer of 2023, the United States publicly intervened in Israeli civil protests while at the same time the White House boasted about giving Israel its support. Over $315 million to Palestine In 2023, he has spent nearly $1 billion since the administration took office in defiance of Israel and the bipartisan U.S. Taylor Force Act.
Signs of corporate retreat American support For Israel, this, combined with the suggestion that the IDF would not be a cohesive fighting force, influenced Hamas thinking – and Iran – and October 7.
The IDF proved more than up to the task, and the initial U.S. response was strong.
But President Joe Biden was quick to say Israel had “gone too far.” Antony Blinken Announced The US will change its policy towards Israel If it is not “dealt with appropriately,” GazaFamine. You see, it wasn't a famine.
President Biden signed the executive order, Impose sanctions They have arrested four Jews from the West Bank and launched an investigation into an Israeli defense company — a small problem, but one that carries the implicit threat of creating more trouble.
Regarding Iran, Biden said Oil Sanctions Exemptions He allowed Iran to sell oil to China and did not veto the expiration of the UN embargo on Iran's production and sale of ballistic missiles. Did not exercise veto A UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza without condemning Hamas, and calling for the release of Israeli hostages only after the ceasefire is implemented.
Now, back to General Brown and the American army. (Related article: Morgan Murphy: Joe Biden's Gaza dock has been washed away — along with $320 million in taxpayer money)
The Pentagon Announced The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has departed the Red Sea, ostensibly to protect international shipping from Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists. In time, it will be replaced by the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, currently in the Pacific Ocean. The Theodore Roosevelt will leave the Pacific region in about a week and slowly make its way to the Middle East. An estimated arrival date has not been determined.
At the same time, Qatar, Iran’s Western rival, which was elevated to the status of a “major non-NATO ally” by the Biden administration, has warned that the U.S. US air bases are not available They are there to attack Iran, and Kuwait as well.
Wasting no time, the Houthis Targeted another ship They missed this time, but the absence of a US aircraft carrier must surely seem to make life easier for the terrorists and their Iranian masters.
Return to Israel.
Hezbollah is fighting an unprovoked war over internationally recognized borders. Iran is its partner. Whatever action Israel deems necessary to protect its northern inhabitants, U.S. support would surely be welcomed, as the president has said. But the administration continues to call for “de-escalation,” and Hezbollah has little reason to agree.
And if, for example, Iran were to choose to attack Israel directly, as it did a few months ago, it would not be unjustified for the United States to respond militarily to Iran.
But with nearby air bases off limits and aircraft carriers gone, what and where will the US attack from?
Shoshana Brien is senior director at the Jewish Policy Center and editor of inFocus Quarterly magazine.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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