Iran's militia groups have initiated more than 82 attacks -- just since October 17 -- on US forces and assets in Syria and Iraq. The latest, on the US Embassy in Baghdad, is an attack on US sovereign territory. During Biden's presidency, Iran has initiated 151 attacks against the US. Forty-six US service members have so far been wounded, 19 seriously, with traumatic brain injury.
These strikes do not include Iran's having largely funded and helped plan a savage invasion of Israel by an estimated 3,000 Gazans under the direction of Iran's proxy, the terrorist group Hamas, on October 7. Once there, they murdered 1,200 people; raped and tortured an untold number, and kidnapped around 240, about 100 of whom -- women and children -- have been released. Several hostages have reportedly been murdered (here, here and here).
The Biden administration has thankfully been supportive of Israel defending itself and trying to rescue those hostages who remain. The Biden administration immediately sent naval ships and fighter jets to the region to prevent the war from spreading to Lebanon and other countries nearby; and on December 8, vetoed an attempt by the United Nations Security Council to force Israel to submit prematurely to a ceasefire.
Before October 7, there was a ceasefire. Regrettably, Hamas broke it. A few weeks later, there was another humanitarian ceasefire to which Israel agreed. Hamas broke that one, too. Hamas refused to release the list of people who were to be delivered on the ceasefire's last day, possibly because Hamas was afraid of what they might say about how they had been treated in captivity. This week, when Israel created a safe zone in the southern Gaza Strip for Gazans, Hamas used that humanitarian zone to fire rockets into Israel.
The US could stop these assaults tomorrow. So far, the Biden administration has appeared unwilling even to entertain the thought of addressing Hamas's patron, Iran. Here are a few possible ways:
- Incapacitate the port from which Iran exports its oil to China and other customers.
- Incapacitate Iran's four major oil refineries, as Senator Lindsay Graham has suggested. Alternatively, incapacitate just one and mention that others might follow.
- Send each of Iran's theocratic leaders and those in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a photo of his house. It worked magnificently after the US eliminated IRGC Commander Qasem Soleimani in 2020, as a warning against retaliation. Iran stopped its aggression effectively that minute.
Enforce or reimpose sanctions on Iran, as well as restrictions on international banking. Also impose secondary sanctions: Whoever is doing business with Iran may not do business with the US.
- Warn the mullahs that for each of the hostage seized -- not just the Americans, all hostages -- an Iranian target has been selected; for each hostage that is harmed, one site will be taken out.
- Target the IRGC training center and key IRGC bases, as advocated by US General Jack Keane.
All it would take is political will.
Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
Ivan Greene