America’s handling of our adversaries in the Middle East has significantly weakened since President Biden became Commander in Chief in 2021. In Afghanistan, we allowed the Taliban to recapture control of the country. And as Senator Joni Ernst has repeatedly laid out, the United States has adopted a strategy of appeasement in dealing with the brutal Iranian terrorist regime.
This past week, President Ebrahim Raisi, the Butcher of Tehran, spoke at the United Nations in New York City. Despite Raisi being sanctioned, President Biden green-lit his visit by providing a Visa to this mass murderer. As a result, the entire world is exposed to Raisi’s propaganda from a podium on U.S. soil. In his speech, he accused the United States of stoking war in Ukraine in an effort to weaken Europe and claimed that Iran has never sought nuclear weapons.
Hundreds of protestors gathered outside the United Nations to object to Raisi’s presence. Raisi’s speech prompted Israel’s representative to walk out of the Assembly in protest in an effort to show support for the Iranian people living under the regime. These protestors acted with the moral clarity that President Biden has repeatedly failed to demonstrate.
The President’s appeasement approach has extended beyond simply providing Raisi with a platform. Within the past few weeks, the United States and Iran finalized an agreement to release five Americans held in Iran on bogus charges in exchange for the U.S. releasing a freeze on $6 billion in Iranian assets.
This deal sends a clear message to Iran that it can leverage dozens of other wrongfully detained people in exchange for concessions from the U.S. In an article for the New York Sun, a Western Diplomat is quoted stating that Iran “behaves like a mafia state.” It should be no surprise that Iran has a history of leveraging improperly detained foreigners to secure financial relief from sanctions.
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We know the assets they’re receiving won’t be spent on domestic priorities for Iranians like education or healthcare. It will support Iran’s global terrorist activities. As the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, Iran finances and facilitates terrorist organizations through its proxies. Additionally, Iran works with its allies, including Russia and China to create chaos around the world.
This sanctions relief comes at a time when the regime is renewing violent crackdowns on peaceful protests around the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini. Amini died while in the custody of Iran’s ‘morality police’ after she was detained for violating Iran’s archaic and mandatory headscarf law. Witnesses recall seeing her viciously beaten. Her death triggered weeks of peaceful protests against the regime, which the regime eventually responded to with brutal violence.
Furthermore, what kind of message does this send to our men and women in uniform? As a veteran, our Commander in Chief giving into the demands of the Iranian regime and unleashing billions of dollars that will no doubt be used to put American lives in danger, disturbs me to my core. Our service members leave their homes, their families, and their way of life behind to dedicate their lives to standing up to enemies like Iran. Like China. Like Russia. Our troops and the militaries of our allies are looking towards our American leaders to stand up against our enemies, some are doing so, and others failing and it is impacting America's status around the world.
While Iranians risked their lives around the one-year anniversary of Amini’s death to fight for better lives, President Biden stood idly by in pursuit of his misguided diplomatic agenda.
I am ashamed to know America is being led by a President who lacks the backbone to stand up to state sponsors of terrorism like Iran. We’re lucky to have others, such as Senator Ernst, who are willing to do the right thing by refusing to appease brutal dictators.
Colonel David Trotter is Retired United States Army. He is a graduate of Iowa State University and was raised in Altoona, Iowa. COL Trotter is a Board Member of The Bastion Institute a non-profit focused on American strength abroad and why it matters to everyday Americans at home. Learn more at TheBastionInstitute.com.
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