Rep. Tenney - Biden returns to failed Middle East policies

Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada, and Europe, has launched or coordinated the launch of more than 3,000 missiles from Gaza. Hamas is acting with direct support from Iran to advance their shared goal of destroying Israel. Senior Iranian officials have publicly endorsed the terrorist group’s offensive. Hamas, in turn, has praised the Iranian regime for providing it with the weapons and financing it needs to carry out these attacks.

The Biden administration’s strategy in the region, or lack thereof, is jeopardizing the hard-earned progress that was made under the previous administration through the Abraham Accords and other agreements. This tragic violence, the first of its kind in many years, shows exactly what happens when the U.S. hides behind moral equivalence and refuses to stand firmly on principle. If this continues, the window to build on past progress in the region could close.

For decades, experts said peace between Arab states and Israel would be impossible until issues with the Palestinians were resolved. Yet, President Donald Trump created the conditions for peace. He defied the odds because he rejected the status quo and ignored the “experts.” He did not lecture our friends; he listened to them. There was a common threat and shared adversary underlying their concerns. It was not each other, but Iran.

Trump took unprecedented steps to counter the Iranian regime, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism and anti-Semitism. First, he withdrew from the failed nuclear deal. Then, he quickly put in place the maximum pressure campaign that stopped more than $70 billion in oil revenue from going to Tehran, secured the release of two American hostages, and deprived the regime of access to billions in foreign currency. This policy of strength through pressure reestablished trust with our partners in the region, who felt betrayed by the nuclear deal and questioned our commitment to their security.

Rebuilding trust and restoring pressure on Iran were keys to unlocking a coalition of Arab countries that were willing to deepen ties with Israel and look to the future. This renewed focus on American diplomacy also created the space and goodwill for the U.S. to introduce the "Vision for Peace," which many Arab states embraced as a constructive step to deliver lasting prosperity for the Palestinian people. It remains the most viable path to statehood ever proposed.

Flash forward to today. The Middle East is starting to look less like the future and more like the past. American credibility is being eroded, violence is breaking out, and the Palestinian people are further from realizing their aspirations. The U.S. abandoning its position of strength has empowered those in the region whose only desire is for continued violence and instability.

President Joe Biden’s enthusiasm for returning to the nuclear deal is a massive miscalculation that is diminishing deterrence and weakening our leverage. The religious extremists running Iran know Biden wants a deal much more than they do. They now have strong incentives to drive greater violence and extremism to leverage their negotiating position. Iran will continue to use its terrorist proxies to press its regional advantage and expand its control. Hamas is only the beginning. Next, it could be Hezbollah on the offensive.

Biden must act immediately to address this situation, which poses a threat to U.S. and allied interests. First, the Biden administration must end all talks with Iran. Talks should be off the table so long as Iran actively continues to support terrorist proxies engaged in attacks against Israel. Second, the Biden administration needs to restore deterrence, which was at the core of Trump’s strategy. Iran must understand that the U.S. will not back down from direct threats by Iran or from attacks by its proxy forces. The administration must take bold and decisive action to remind Iran that its aggression comes at a serious cost.

Finally, the Biden administration must express unequivocally that the maximum pressure campaign on Iran will continue until the regime agrees to negotiate a comprehensive deal. Chasing terrorists around the world begging them to reenter a flawed deal that is already starting to expire is a dangerous position for America. It is ruining our credibility and providing Iran with greater incentives to plunge the region into further chaos. The mullahs must be reminded that we will continue our pressure campaign if they refuse talks, and we must use the full force of our economic, military, and diplomatic powers to deny resources to the regime.

Iran’s leaders are freedom-hating revolutionary zealots. With adversaries like these, only a policy of strength and moral clarity will advance America's interests. A show of weakness and ambivalence invites instability and terror. The Biden administration must recognize its failure and take immediate steps to restore deterrence and reassert control.

Claudia Tenney represents New York's 22nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.