In President Joe Biden’s recent Washington Post op-ed, he boasted of the success of “intensive diplomacy” in the Middle East. The president claimed the region is “less pressurized” because of this policy — even as the Taliban celebrate their rule in Afghanistan and Iran brags that Biden’s nuclear deal is full of U.S. concessions. Far from stabilizing the region, Biden’s persistent deference to the Iranian regime will have dire consequences and will likely lead to renewed attacks on U.S. interests and allies and set the stage for a future large-scale conflict in the region.
In his article, Biden rightly emphasized that a stable, prosperous Middle East is less likely to harbor extremism. I wholeheartedly agree. That’s why I believe shortsighted decisions, incoherent diplomacy, and absolute acquiescence toward Iranian demands have imperiled America’s national security. Such weakness on the world stage is counter to our national interests and unfit for the world’s mightiest democracy.
But such weakness is what the rest of the world has come to expect from us thanks to this administration’s “intensive diplomacy.” Biden’s strategy involves alienating allies, announcing to our adversaries what America will not do, bowing to threats, and hesitating to use force even when it is necessary. History teaches us that projecting American weakness is always a recipe for disaster. We saw this in our fatally flawed withdrawal from Afghanistan and again when Biden withdrew U.S. warships from the Black Sea prior to Russia’s assault on Ukraine. More recently, Biden publicly attempted to discourage House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) from visiting Taiwan. And now he’s begun pleading with Tehran to abandon its illicit nuclear weapons program, even while Iranian militias actively attack U.S. troops in Syria.
It’s time for the administration to stop dreaming and start leading. America must show the world once again it is serious about its values and security interests.
America’s course correction in the Middle East starts with ending the dream of a moderate, peace-loving ayatollah that has possessed the Obama and Biden administrations. We must judge the intentions of Tehran by its actions, including its rogue pursuit of nuclear weapons, repeated attacks on U.S. personnel and bases in the Middle East, proliferation of terrorism, strategic alliances with Russia and China, and domestic brutality. We should respond to this reality by enforcing sanctions and holding the regime accountable for its actions.
Instead, the Biden administration continues to ignore hard truths, in hopes that Iran will reenter a fatally flawed nuclear deal that will flood the Regime’s pockets with billions of dollars to supercharge its malign activities. Not surprisingly, Iran’s nuclear program has accelerated to threshold status under this naive policy.
This is why I joined other Republicans in introducing legislation to strengthen Congress’s oversight of negotiations, clarify its authority to snap back sanctions on Iran, block unwarranted sanctions relief, and prevent the administration from ceding to Iran’s demand that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps no longer be considered a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the State Department. Congress must do more to shape U.S. policy toward Iran. We cannot afford to wait until the next presidential election. The consequences of a nuclear-armed Iran are far too great.
The United States must also focus on strengthening its alliances and relationships in the Middle East. Biden’s rhetoric of “pivoting” away from the Middle East has left our allies to hedge their bets and align with state and nonstate actors hostile to our interests and values. To hold the line against threats to our security and interests, our allies must know they can rely on the U.S. and each other. This starts with a renewed focus on the Abraham Accords. Normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab states was once unthinkable but almost overnight became a tangible reality. We need to increase dialogue and cooperation between the countries that signed the accords while incentivizing broader participation. As these nations integrate culturally and economically, peace and security will take root, and the seeds of prosperity will be sown.
The U.S. should aggressively facilitate joint military drills with Israeli and Arab partners to counter Iranian aggression. Together, we must improve the capacity for self-defense, particularly from Iranian drones, loitering munitions, rockets, and missiles. This requires an integrated, multilayered air defense system and shared early warning information among allies.
The U.S. must also stand with Israel, our strongest democratic ally in the region. We must acknowledge that failed U.S. policy toward Iran has badly compromised Israel’s security. A cyberwar between the two nations has already begun, and tensions between Israel and Iranian proxies such as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad now routinely erupt into episodic violence. The administration must expedite military sales to Israel, including KC-46 tankers, which will allow it to employ its air force effectively in a crisis.
The Middle East is ripe with opportunity to reestablish the value of the American handshake, left tarnished by the abandonment of allies in Afghanistan. Former President Ronald Reagan once said, “America is, and always will be, a shining city on a hill.” It’s time for Americans to band together, find our self-confidence, remember we are the flag bearers of freedom, and show the world that democracy prevails over tyranny. We can start by holding Tehran accountable and standing strong with our allies in the Middle East and around the world.
Don Bacon is a U.S. representative for the 2nd District of Nebraska. He is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, co-chairman of the For Country Caucus, and he retired as a brigadier general in the United States Air Force after serving nearly 30 years.
