REGIME CHANGE IN TEHRAN IS THE ONLY PATH TO STABILITY

I am a huge fan of Ronald Reagan, whose portrait you display in your Oval Office, and I have watched over the decades as even Reagan’s critics have been forced to acknowledge his greatness. A president can compel begrudging admiration from even his critics with undeniable, lasting success. Reagan’s opponents have been forced to credit him with defeating the Soviet Union, ending the Cold War, and initiating two decades of economic dominance. 

One of your greatest successes is how you have created the conditions for a generational expansion of freedom in the world. By siding unquestionably with Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself, you have turned many of Israel’s former enemies into allies, or at least into neutral parties. Hamas and Hezbollah are soon to be eliminated, which will also benefit Lebanon and Syria. You’ve supported Israel with your rhetoric, with U.S. intelligence, and with American firepower.

Thank you for your use of American power to reshape the Middle East for the better.

Iran has been a primary source of evil in the world for half a century. Your predecessors, former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, thought selling out Israel and pivoting toward Iran was the path forward, but, thankfully, you made short work of their terrible plan. There is perhaps no greater contrast between your administration and that of your predecessors than your Middle East policy.

As a result, Iran is knocked back on its heels. The job is, as you have said, nearly complete, but it is not yet complete. The rule of mullahs has not been eliminated, and the people have not yet felt free to return to the streets.

So it is at this point that I’m reminded of Margaret Thatcher, who said to President George H.W. Bush during the Gulf War, “This is no time to go wobbly.” The job is almost done — please finish it.

Don’t let markets determine the outcome of the war. I’m a huge believer in markets, and markets do an incredible job of conveying information. Right now, markets are telling us that the war has a cost — but we knew that (or should have). Markets should not be permitted to determine the outcome of a war. If a war is worth fighting, it’s worth finishing. To go wobbly now because of oil prices or other market factors would be a betrayal of everything that has been done so brilliantly thus far.

This is a concern because you seem now to want to partner with Iran. But Iran is our enemy. Iran is who we are fighting. We should be trying to destroy the governing regime, not remove sanctions on their only export.

When we elect to devote American blood and treasure to a war effort, we shouldn’t let markets stop us from completing the war in a way that accomplishes our goals, and the only goal worth pursuing in Iran is and always has been regime change. Anything short is Obama-Biden style delusion.

This can be your lasting legacy. What’s the first thing that pops into our minds when we recall the name Ronald Reagan? He won the Cold War.

For 69 years, the Soviet Union terrorized the world, conquering and enslaving its neighbors, and funding conflict around the world, especially in the U.S. Administration after administration struggled with how to deal with the Soviet Union, and most failed dismally. But Reagan took clear, decisive action, expanding the military and strengthening the economy such that the USSR simply could no longer keep up.

Similarly, Iran has terrorized its neighbors for 47 years and has been an agent of conflict around the world. Ending the rule of mullahs, thus ending the Iranian threat, would be a legacy that will last for generations.

TIME FOR CONGRESS TO GET BUSY BACKING REGIME CHANGE IN IRAN

You won’t establish your legacy by putting your name on buildings, or the currency, or by minting gold coins bearing your image. Those can all be removed, undone, melted down. You can’t build a legacy through executive orders, since they last only as long as you occupy the White House. 

But by rolling back the evil Iranian regime, your lasting legacy could be making millions safe and free, and no one will ever be able to take that away from you.

Tom Giovanetti is the president of the Institute for Policy Innovation.