In case there's any doubt how weak President Joe Biden is on dealing with Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported in the early morning hours of Monday that "Biden Administration Presses Allies Not to Confront Iran on Nuclear Program." Not only is the United States reportedly not going to tell Iran off for their nuclear program, but is urging our true allies to do the same.
As the report mentions:
BERLIN—The Biden administration is pressing European allies to back off plans to rebuke Iran for advances in its nuclear program, even as it expands its stockpile of near-weapons-grade fissile material to a record level, according to diplomats involved in discussions.
The U.S. is arguing against an effort by Britain and France to censure Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s member-state board in early June, the diplomats said. The U.S. has pressed a number of other countries to abstain in a censure vote, saying that is what Washington will do, they said.
U.S. officials deny lobbying against a resolution.
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U.S. officials say that material could be converted into weapons-grade enriched uranium in a matter of days. It would then be enough to fuel three nuclear weapons.
Some U.S. officials say they fear Iran could be more volatile as the country moves toward elections for a new leader after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash earlier this month. The Biden administration has long said it is seeking a diplomatic solution on Iran’s nuclear program.
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A U.S. official said Washington is “tightly coordinated” with its European partners ahead of the IAEA board meeting next month: “Any speculation about decisions is premature.”
Whenever there's news about Iran and this administration, it doesn't exactly inspire confidence about the state of hiw Biden handles foreign policy. Recall how on this year's anniversary of September 11, the Biden administration announced the release of $6 billion as part of a hostage deal. Sure enough, the Wall Street Journal also reported not long after the October 7 attack that Hamas perpetrated against Israel that Hamas had backing from Iran. Then, in November, the Biden administration unfroze $10 billion by extending a waiver sanction for funds frozen in Iraq.
Among the strong reactions, came from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Ted Cruz, with the senator reposting a take from Levin. As conservative commentator warned, citing reports from the Mirror, Joe Biden is selling out our nation's security to Iran's nuclear program in order to get elected! This is the worst kind of treachery by ANY president in our history!" He also highlighted how Biden and his administration have send funds to Iran.
"Every voice must be raised against this! Every legal, constitutional, diplomatic, and political step must be taken to stop this! Or we will wake up one day with a nuclearized Iran and the gravest of threats facing our nation's future! Biden has spent his entire career putting his own power, wealth, and interests above our country and this underscores it!," Levin's post also read in part.
Profoundly dangerous 👇 https://t.co/Q9lpoaEfkW
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 27, 2024
Last month, when Iran attacked Israel in an unprecedented move, Cruz also highlighted the amount of money that the Biden administration has provided to Iran in his podcast at the time.
The WSJ also mentions the United Nations and what taking action against Iran could actually look like:
A censure resolution at the IAEA Board can open the way to pushing Iran’s alleged noncompliance on nuclear issues to the U.N. Security Council for an international response.
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The administration is also skeptical that a formal rebuke will achieve anything. Even if Iran’s nuclear work is eventually pushed up to the U.N. Security Council, it would likely be doomed there. Russia and China, who hold veto power at the U.N., would almost certainly veto any attempt to sanction Tehran for its activities.
This time, British and French officials have told Washington they want to press ahead with a censure resolution, saying it was time to draw a line, according to people involved in discussions.
Whether the Europeans actually would do that is unclear. If they proposed a censure motion that failed, it would be a major diplomatic coup for Tehran, suggesting Western pressure on Iran was crumbling.
The U.S. has pushed against a censure resolution at the IAEA ahead of other recent board meetings, but past disagreements over how to handle Iran’s nuclear work have largely stayed between Washington and the Europeans.
However, at the most recent board meeting in March, Washington’s ambassador to the IAEA, Laura Holgate, warned that Iranian noncooperation with the agency couldn’t be allowed to continue.
“Iran’s level of cooperation with the agency remains unacceptable,” she said at the meeting. “The board must be prepared to take further action should Iran’s cooperation not improve dramatically.”
When it comes to the administration's concerns that they're "also skeptical that a formal rebuke will achieve anything," that's awfully rich coming from those who have failed to go hard on Iran in any regard. As our allies, like British and French officials point out, it ought to be "time to draw a line."
And, on the point about "suggesting Western pressure on Iran was crumbling," it's worth raising that it likely already has been. This is certainly no thanks to the Biden administration, but also the Obama administration, when Biden served as vice president.
The examples of the Biden administration mentioned above aren't even the most recent examples of shameful reactions. The United Nation, mentioned in the report, deserves (dis)honorable mention as well. This is not merely for how Iran has such an influential role in the agency to begin with, but for reactions to the death of Iranian President.
Members of the United Nations, including the United States via Ambassador Robert Wood, stood for a moment of silence for President Ebrahim Raisi, dubbed the "butcher of Tehran." The U.S. Senate chaplain also offered a prayer for Raisi, and the condolences offered by the White House were defended by National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby.
News of the Biden administration's urging, as well as how the IAEA "reports that Iran has significantly increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, exceeding the limits set by the 2015 nuclear deal" have been trending over X.
Memorial Day news dump from the Biden admin:
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) May 27, 2024
“The Biden administration is pressing European allies to back off plans to rebuke Iran for advances in its nuclear program as it seeks to keep tensions with Tehran from escalating before the autumn’s U.S. presidential election,… pic.twitter.com/rifVYL36ns