Congressional Republicans and their Democratic allies are reminding Americans that Tehran’s nuclear ambitions aren’t the only threat Iran poses to U.S interests as talks on that issue reach a crucial stage.
President Obama has tried to wall off the nuclear talks from the many crises in which Iran plays a role, from the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria to the overthrow of Yemen’s government, to even Iran’s prosecution of U.S. citizens on questionable charges.
“The Iranians are the largest state sponsors of terror in the whole world,” said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas. “Iranian-backed terror plots are a threat to everyone.”
“The fact is that the Shiite alliance headed by Iran is far more deadly than [the Islamic State],” added Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., noting that the Sunni extremist group only aspires to do to the United States what Iran has already done.
Poe, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, held a hearing Wednesday on the global threat posed by Iran at which witnesses noted that the possible pursuit of nuclear weapons is only one of many ways in which Tehran’s Shiite Muslim theocracy threatens U.S. interests.
“We have defined Iran’s deviance down,” said Ilan Berman, vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council, noting that Iran is “on the march in multiple theaters,” including in the Americas where it has developed “a large and effective clandestine network in the region.”
“Iran’s presence in the Americas is growing, and so is the threat it has the potential to pose to the American homeland,” he said.
The threat of new sanctions already looms over international negotiators as they work to meet a self-imposed March 24 deadline for the political framework of a permanent agreement with Tehran, headed toward a final deal by June 30. Senate Democrats, who are critical to the success of any sanctions legislation, have used their leverage to delay a vote while the talks continue, but say they won’t wait past March 24 if there’s no concrete progress.
Obama’s negotiating strategy has fueled widespread concern from Capitol Hill to the Middle East that he’s not only willing to put U.S. interests in other areas, such as the fight against the Islamic State, at risk; but also is seeking a broader rapprochement with Tehran that would leave many traditional U.S. allies such as Israel out in the cold.
That concern prompted congressional Republicans to extend their controversial invitation for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress on March 3.
Regardless of the outcome of the nuclear talks, U.S. and Iranian interests will remain at odds as long as Washington seeks to remain engaged in the Middle East, said Frederick W. Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute.
“Their objective is to eject us from the Middle East entirely,” he said.
The administration’s failure to challenge Iran is most evident in the fight against the Islamic State, especially in Syria, where Iranian-backed President Bashar Assad is hinting that his government continues to receive “information” that allows it to coordinate its efforts with those of coalition forces, in spite of U.S. insistence that there is no cooperation.
“We are not communicating or coordinating our military operations with the Assad regime. We’re not doing it directly, and we’re not doing it indirectly,” Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said Tuesday.
But the belief persists — especially among the moderate Syrian rebels the U.S. hopes it can train to be an effective ground force against the Islamic State — that Obama is going easy on Assad to keep Iran happy.
Ashton Carter, Obama’s nominee to replace Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, appeared to endorse the idea that the threat from Iran needs greater U.S. attention in his Feb. 4 confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
In response to written questions from the committee, Carter wrote: “Countering Iranian destabilizing activities must be an important priority. Regardless of the outcome of nuclear negotiations, I firmly believe that the United States must also counter these destabilizing regional activities, including Iran’s support to terrorists and militant groups.”
