Yesterday morning, three U.S. service members were killed and at least 25 were injured in an attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. The attack was carried out by Iranian proxies, part of broader regional turmoil. This needless loss of...
The post Iran Proxies Kill Three US Soldiers in Middle East appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.
Yesterday morning, three U.S. service members were killed and at least 25 were injured in an attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. The attack was carried out by Iranian proxies, part of broader regional turmoil.
This needless loss of life proves that we are once again at war in the Middle East. The White House, more concerned with optics than the lives of our troops, refuses to admit it. (READ MORE from Philip Reichert: US Secretary of Defense Goes AWOL)
Biden and his administration, thus far willing to tolerate the attacks by Iranian proxies, are squarely to blame for these deaths. It was luck, not strategy, that no U.S. troops had been killed to this point. The fact is, Iran does not fear our retaliation and it does not fear this administration.
If you’ve been paying attention, you know that this unfortunate event was doomed to happen. There have been well over one hundred attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East since October, and despite proportional retaliation and efforts to cool tensions, the conflict is showing no signs of de-escalation.
Even facing open hostility from Iran and its proxies, the Biden administration refuses to abandon the hope that the world’s largest state sponsor of terror can be a regional partner. Most recently, the administration provided intelligence to Iran of an impending ISIS attack. Last year, the administration reached a deal to unfreeze $6 billion in assets in exchange for American prisoners, money that would have undoubtedly been used to fund terror before it was frozen in a joint effort with Qatar.
These efforts, coupled with on-again-off-again diplomatic talks, bear no fruit. Iran continues to prioritize the rapid development of a nuclear weapon, helped orchestrate the deadly terrorist attack on Israel on October 6th, and is now actively sponsoring a terror campaign against U.S. forces. Blinded by his hope for better relations, Biden refuses to acknowledge reality.
The decision not to recognize these attacks as part of a broader conflict misrepresents the situation on the ground and does nothing to discourage further Iranian action. The attacks will stop when the enemy is either unable or unwilling to continue them, and the administration’s current strategy has accomplished neither.
In this way, by refusing to convincingly discourage or prevent future attacks, the administration has been actively prolonging the conflict and leaving open the door for further escalation. (READ MORE: The Military’s F-35 Fiasco)
Critics will say that a disproportionate response could lead to war with Iran, and that a more conservative response is the safer course of action. This is foolish as proportional response has done nothing to deter the enemy. Iran and its proxies see little risk in continuing their hostile action against American forces. This perception of weakness has consequences in American lives.
Biden, prior to taking office, once said that he “would never hesitate to protect the American people, including by the use of force.” It’s time for the President to embrace that responsibility.
Protecting the American people means a shift in strategy. This conflict is not a series of isolated incidents, but a regional war driven by Iran’s proxy forces. The administration must shed its foolish attempts to partner with the enemy. Iran isn’t interested in being our regional partner, they’re interested in resisting American efforts wherever possible. We’re at war again — it’s time to act like it.
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