Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism machine struck again today with swift-boats attempting to hijack the Marshall Islands-flagged TRF Moses and a few hours later the Bahamian-flagged Richmond Voyager, with the USS destroyer McCaul coming to the rescue in the nick of time. Irani’s state sponsored terrorism hasn’t changed since the Jan. 3, 2020 assassination of Al Quds chief Qasem Soleimani near the Baghdad airport. Former President Donald Trump, 77, cancelled former President Barack Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] AKA The Iranian Nuke deal May 8, 2018. Trump cancelled Obama’s JCPOA because the agreement was not enforceable and Iran was in a proxy war using Yemen’s Houthi rebels to attack Saudi Arabia. Trump thought Obama’s Nuke Deal endangered U.S. national security by giving Iran cash and ending punitive economic sanctions.
Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman shows utter contempt for freedom of navigation on the open seas. Biden talks about China’s abuses in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea yet gives Iran a free pass for tormenting global petroleum commerce in busy international waterways. China has not bombed freighters and tankers in the South China Sea or, for that matter, sent swift boats into international waters to harass global commerce. Yet Biden had no problem placating Iran saying he wants to one up Trump and reestablish the Iranian Nuke Deal. Today’s piracy by Iran shows that the Islamic Republic continues its state-sponsored terrorism, menacing global commerce in international waters. “The Iranian vessel departed the scene when US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul arrived on station,” said Centcom, stopping two apparent Iranian hijackings.
Biden must come to grips with the fact that giving Iran any cash-or-incentives to re-up the Iranian Nuke Deal would be detrimental to U.S. national security. When Obama gave Iran billions in cash and sanctions relief, they used it to launch a proxy war against Saudi Arabia. Today’s thwarted hijackings prove that Iran has changed nothing in their approach to international relations. When a U.S. riverine command boat was commandeered by Iranian swift boats Jan. 12, 2016, taking 10 U.S. sailors hostage, the U.S. was caught with its pants down. Ever since the 1979 aborted Iran hostage rescue by former President Jimmy Carter, Iran has had little respect for the U.S. U.S. government reclaimed some of its lost dignity after Carter was defeated and President Ronald Reagan was sworn in Jan. 20, 1981. Dealing with Iran requires sensible U.S. diplomacy, setting realistic limits and expectations.
Showing force in the Gulf of Oman sends a loud message to Tehran not to mess with the U.S. navy. When Iran humiliated the U.S. in 2016 under Obama and Biden’s watch, Trump vowed never again. Today’s action by the USS McCaul did everything right other that firing on the Iranian vessel. “Iranian personnel fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons,” said Centcom. USS McCaul should have returned fire to let Iran know there are consequences to state-sponsored terrorism. Centom said since 2021 Iran menaced “harassed, attacked or seized 20 globally-flagged freighters and tankers, presenting a clear threat to regional maritime security and the global economy,” Centom said. If that’s not a message to the White House to avoid transacting with Iran until there’s been sufficient regime change to trust any contractual obligations, then what is?
Iran’s actions in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman are analogous to Somali pirates in the horn of Africa. Lawless behavior is commonplace, leaving maritime shipping at serious risk in East Africa. USS McCaul did the right thing chasing away Iran’s Al Quds forces, leaving Tehran humiliated this time around. Only in April, Iran hijacked two tankers, one with a brazen attack with a helicopter gunship letting crew repel down ropes onto the deck of the Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet tanker. Brazen attacks like that must be addressed with a zero tolerance policy of bringing swift-and-effective justice to Iran’s Persian Gulf pirates. When you consider the social unrest in Iran for all its human rights abuses, you’d think Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would change his criminal ways. Iran must be shown by the global community that there will be no tolerance for lawless behavior.
President Joe Biden must heed the criminal nature to Iran’s mullah regime, demonstrating some of the worst human rights abuses on the planet. When Iran’s Basij militia or morality police beat 17-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini to death Sept. 16, 2022, protests swept over Iranian cities. It was only a matter of time before the mullah’s regime cracked down on street protesters, cracking heads and incarcerating thousands to quell what looked like the biggest revolution since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. When all was said-and-done, thousands of innocent Iranians went unaccounted for, most likely vaporized. Whatever human rights abuses happen around the planet, none are worse than what happens in the Aytollah’s Iran, a place of shameful impunity. Watching Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism shows that the global community must respond forcefully.
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.
