News broke over the weekend that Iranian proxies killed three U.S. Army soldiers and injured more than 30 in a drone attack on a base in Jordan. The hard truth is that these deaths were avoidable. But rather than adopt the policies of strength that could have prevented this, the Biden administration is utterly paralyzed by fears of “escalation.”
The only great power the Biden administration has actually deterred is the United States. During the past three years, Iran, Russia, and China have used American weakness to advance their shared agenda for a new world order. They understand that President Joe Biden refuses to impose anything but the most minimal of consequences for their aggression. Until their estimation of American resolve changes, their aggression will continue.
To reestablish deterrence in the wake of these latest attacks, Biden must act swiftly to impose steep costs on Iran. The U.S. should take every action necessary to disrupt the flow of weapons and money to the Islamic Republic’s proxies. And strikes against terrorist leaders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and others coordinating the Axis of Resistance would send a strong message to leaders in not only Tehran but Moscow and Beijing as well.
America is facing a geopolitical crisis, the likes of which have not been seen since World War II. It will take all our strength and ingenuity to withstand the challenge. To weather the coming storm, we need leaders who will be self-confident, not self-deterred.
