A top Iranian general reminded us on Wednesday why the Biden administration’s obsessive focus on restoring the Iran nuclear accord will not prevent Iranian assassination plots against U.S. officials.
Referencing Iran’s desire to avenge former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani, Gen. Mohammad Pakpour told Iranian state media that even “if all American leaders are killed, this will still not avenge his assassination.” Pakpour continued, “We should avenge him by following Soleimani’s path and through other methods.”
Seeing as Soleimani was an assassin with great tolerance for bloodletting, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what “following Soleimani’s path” might entail. Pakpour isn’t just another revolutionary zealot. He commands the IRGC ground forces and thus holds both figurative and literal sway over the regime’s policies.
There’s an unpleasant context for Pakpour’s threats. As the Washington Examiner has reported, the FBI recently disrupted an IRGC plot to assassinate former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton. Unfortunately, Biden administration officials are publicly refusing to indict the IRGC officers responsible for that plot in fear that doing so may complicate negotiations to restore the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. Bolton isn’t the only official under threat. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former special representative for Iran Brian Hook retain full-time protective details in response to Iranian threats. This admittedly necessary protection is costing taxpayers nearly $2.2 million per month.
All of this begs an important question. Namely, why is the Biden administration so determined to give Iran massive sanctions relief in return only for its restoration of an inherently flawed nuclear agreement? Especially, that is, when one of the prime beneficiaries of any restored agreement would be the very same Iranian organization, the IRGC, that is trying to kill American officials!? As Pakpour underlines, the IRGC doesn’t even try to hide its murderous intent!
Rather than play nice with terrorists, the United States should make clear that any new nuclear agreement will have to include a much more robust inspections regime, limits on Iran’s ballistic missile program, and a verified reduction in Iranian terrorist plots. The current strategy of appeasement seems only to have inspired the most hard-liner elements in Tehran.
