0
0
In probably the most bizarre public notice of the commencement of military affairs in the nation’s history, spokesmen for the Biden Administration have explained that the White House is preparing weeks of bombing and cyberattacks on Iranian people, infrastructure, and equipment outside of Iran in response to a drone attack which killed three American civilians in Jordan on Monday.
After the comments were made, Rep. Thomas Massie (L – KY) posted a video on X from 2007 of Senator Joe Biden threatening President George W. Bush Jr. with impeachment if he led the nation to war with Iran without Congressional approval, and wrote “consider this your notice [President Biden]”.
While the White House spokesman John Kirby blamed the Jordan attack on an umbrella group of Shi’ite irregulars called Islamic Resistance in Iraq that he claimed are funded by Iran, the Pentagon has said on two occasions that there is no evidence that Iran had anything to do with the Jordan strike.
Tehran has warned it would respond decisively to any attack on its territory or interests, against which a further response would require the executive to petition Congress for a declaration of war against Iran, as Iran exists outside the purview of any existing Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) related to the free application of force in the Middle East.
That Biden is taking this public, removing to a large degree the element of surprise, is obviously a response to his harsh critics in Congress and optics in view of his challenge in the 2024 presidential election. WaL reported that Biden and his aides knew that US soldiers left deliberately in harm’s way would eventually be killed by irregulars, and officials speaking with the press said they planned to bomb Iran in response.
The New York Times recently reported on the announcement saying that options ranged from unsatisfying to highly risky, however, and that intermediate options were almost entirely exhausted.
Despite President Biden and his National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan being chief components of the Obama team that negotiated the Iranian nuclear deal, they have made neither any effort to renegotiate the deal which Donald Trump left, nor make new attempts to try and limit Tehran’s nuclear program, which has confirmed its ability to rapidly produce uranium at 68% enrichment, around 23% short of weapons-grade.
Any direct attack on the Iranian navy or servicemen will almost inevitably lead to attempts at further enrichment, putting pressure on Biden to act further.
“The Islamic Republic would decisively respond to any attack on the county, its interests and nationals under any pretexts,” said Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the UN on the occasion of a trip to New York.
Following Israel’s onslaught in Gaza, the Near and Middle East regions have erupted in violence. In January, Israel had already expanded her bombing to include Syria and Lebanon. The US and UK have been bombing Yemen’s controlling faction, called the Houthis, who are attacking ships in the Red Sea in protest of Israel’s war. US bases have come under attack 166 times by various Shi’ite militias including the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and others, against whom the US has counterattacked a half-dozen times. Iran has struck targets in Iraq, Pakistan, and Syria, while Pakistan responded in kind.
Serious fears now exist that a wider war, enflamed by anti-imperial and religious sentiments, would engulf the region, and while attacks against Iran might not trigger the worst-case scenario, a retaliation from Iran against the dozens of mostly lightly-defended US targets would almost certainly set the Greater Middle East on fire. WaL
PICTURED ABOVE: Tower 22, a base of 350 soldiers and personnel located in Northeast Jordan. PC: Google Maps
