Firing missiles and drones at U.S. warships in international waters in the Mideast and East Africa, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has thrown down the gauntlet challenging 81-year-old President Joe Biden. Biden told Iran and its proxies Oct. 10 to “just don’t” try to escalate the Israeli-Hamas war. Since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Hamas Oct. 8, Iran’s proxies, calling themselves the “axis of resistance,” warned Biden that if they backed Israel in the Gaza War there would be consequences. Yemen’s Houthi rebels firing Iranian missiles and drones at a the USS Carney and other tankers in the Gulf of Aden, Oman and Persian Gulf shows that Ayatollah Khamenei has directly challenged the Pentagon. Vowing to “consider all appropriate options,” U.S. Central Command [Centcom] put Iran on notice that there would be responses to the attacks.
Pentagon officials, led by 70-year-old Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, warned Iran that the U.S. would hold it responsible for attacks on international commerce and U.S. navy ships. “These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security,” said U.S. Centcom. “They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world,” attesting to Iran’s direct involvement in international shipping incidents. “We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran,” Centcom said. But calling the attacks “enabled” does not translate into “ordered by the Ayatollah’s Revolutionary Guards force.” Iran has been on the warpath against the United States since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, more recently with various naval attacks.
Firing missiles at the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, crosses the line as an act of war. Iran’s Ayatollah can no longer camouflage attacks by its proxies, especially with recent statements by Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahia said “that if the current situation [Gaza war] continues, the region will enter a new phase” over the Israeli-Hamas War. Iran no longer has the luxury of stealth attacks, having openly admitted that it supports the “axis of resistance,” a group of loosely affiliated proxies, including Yemen’s Houthis, Gaza’s Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iraq’s Kata’ib Hezbollah. Biden’s White House can no longer pretend that it’s not at war with Iran, with Ayatollah’s proxies attacking the U.S. navy and allies in the Mideast. Shooting down drones or missiles, the USS Carney can no longer say it’s not under attack.
Biden White House officials have worked to placate Iran’s demand for sanctions relief after former President Donald Trump cancelled former President Barack Obama’s 2015 Iranian Nuke Deal May 8, 2018, giving Iran billions and sanction relief in exchange for slowing down its uranium enrichment program. Obama thought the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] would slow down Iran from its build-out time on a nuclear bomb. But Iran supplied missiles and drones to Houthi rebels to prosecute a war with Saudi Arabia. Trump cancelled the JCPOA precisely because the Houthis were at war with Riyadh. Iran’s Foreign Minister admits that the ‘axis of resistance” actively plans attacks on U.S. and allied interests for its war in Gaza. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has done nothing to protect U.S. national security, allowing Iran’s proxies to continue attacking the U.S. navy and friendly shipping companies doing business in the Middle East.
Biden can no longer ignore Iran’s proxy forces attacking the U.S. navy and allies shipping in the Middle East. Iran’s proxies operated in the Middle East for years, not related to the situation in Gaza. Iran’s Foreign Minister admits for all to see that the Ayatollah is involved in directing Iran’s proxies to attack U.S. interests for whatever reason. Iran broke off diplomatic relations from the U.S. since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran’s contacts with the U.S. are typically through the Swiss embassy or, more recently, through Qatar, who’s worked with the U.S. and Israel to get hostages back from Gaza. Iran’s Ayatollah celebrated the Oct. 7 massacre and hostage taking of Israeli civilians. Unless the Biden White House puts Iran on notice the attacks on the U.S. navy or maritime commerce in the Persian Gulf, Oman Gulf or Red sea will continue unabated.
Hamas terrorists in Gaza, Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hezbollah’s military are all part of Iran’s state-sponsored terror machine. Without the U.S. hitting Iran directly, the world will continue to see attacks in opens seas in the Middle East. Biden can’t get off the fence of placating leftist Democrats and Mideast groups concerned about civilian casualties in the Israeli-Hamas War and, at the same time, backing Israel as it fights for its survival against Iranian-backed terrorist groups. Houthi attacks on the U.S. navy or maritime shipping in the Mideast have been going on for year since Trump left office. Unless the Pentagon trains its sights on Iran, the attacks will continue without end. Houthi rebels could care less about the plight of Gaza and are not part of any Palestinian resistance. Houthis, like Somali’s pirates, are an outlaw mercenary group ready to attack anyone for hire.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
