After Iran threatens preemptive strike, Biden must deter
The Biden foreign-policy disaster continues: Iran is now openly threatening war with Israel.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warns that a “preemptive action” against Israel is coming, as the nation girds itself for a Gaza ground invasion.
“The resistance front is capable of waging a long-term war,” the Iranian brags. And “all options are open.”
The “front” here is a Tehran-backed terror network that includes Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which began limited but deadly attacks within days of Hamas’ assault.
Amirabdollahian’s words are a stark reminder of how dangerous and misguided was Biden’s quest to empower Iran.
The White House’s humiliating efforts to entice Tehran back into the Obama nuclear deal, coupled with the self-defeating effort to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” (to borrow Biden’s campaign phrase) signaled with total clarity to the murderous mullahs that the door was open for major moves to advance their drive for regional dominance.
Thus the Islamic Republic’s decision to help mastermind and give the final OK to Hamas’ brutal terror attack.
Follow along with The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel
Now Tehran feels it can all but promise war with America’s closest regional ally, days ahead of President Biden’s visit to Israel.
And the administration’s efforts to whitewash Iran’s role in the Hamas attack can only encourage this Iranian brazenness.
Whether the wider threat is genuine or not, it requires a swift and immediate US response.
Biden must say plainly that further attacks on Israel by Iran or its proxies, including Hezbollah, will incur American retaliations against those proxies — and potentially their master, too.
We’ve sent two carrier strike groups to the region: We have the materiel and men in place already.
Indeed, we must also declare that “all options are open” and tell Iran that its nuclear facilities — the crown jewel in its hegemonic strategy — will be in our sights as well.
That’s the kind of deterrence Tehran’s provocations demand.
The question is, does Biden and his Cabinet have the spine for it?
