Staff Reports
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are set for a high-stakes powwow in the Situation Room as tensions flare up between Israel and Iran—again. The world got a grim reminder as a recent rocket strike from the Iranian-backed side took the lives of twelve innocent children in Israel-controlled territory. If nothing else, this serves as a chilling backdrop for a meeting that could very well devolve into an exercise in hand-wringing.
The Biden administration seems intent on playing diplomat, as the President takes time to chat with King Abdullah II of Jordan. The goal will be to cool off Iranian saber-rattling and their threats to launch retaliatory strikes against Israel. Meanwhile, the Jordanian Foreign Minister—a guy with his own set of challenges—expressed a wishful hope that the escalating violence will just magically vanish. A bold strategy indeed, especially when dealing with a nation like Iran that’s more inclined to shoot missiles than shake hands.
Biden, Harris to Meet In Situation Room As Iran Could Attack Israel This Week: Remember the last missile attack on Israel by Iran (Iron Dome took them all out). https://t.co/2QjRkSpAUB
— Randy Mott (@randymot4) August 5, 2024
While Biden and Harris are busy trying to keep the peace with a villainous regime, they are also advising Israel to hold back on further military actions. That’s right—the United States, under this administration, is sending signals to a democratic ally to exercise restraint when it’s clear that militant groups are becoming more aggressive by the day. It’s a wonder anyone expects Israel to bend over backward while their existence is under threat.
On a side note, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin apparently felt the need to remind Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that the U.S. stands with Israel. This led to discussions on how the U.S. can bolster Israel’s defenses against rising Iranian aggression. One has to wonder what happened to the days when American support was just taken for granted. Now it appears that even a phone call is necessary to affirm loyalty—what a shift from the Trump administration, which would have had Iran quaking in their boots.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not taking these threats lightly. He’s already issued a declaration that Israel is effectively in a “multi-front” war with Iran and is gearing up with preparations that can only be described as nuclear-proof. He even has himself and his cabinet holed up in a fortified bunker, clearly indicating that the situation isn’t just a casual stroll through the park. One can only imagine what the headlines would look like if such preparations were made under the previous administration—disaster preparedness or confrontation, depending on which side of the aisle you’re on.
As tensions rise, and with Secretary of State Antony Blinken warning that an attack could happen imminently, it’s clear that a proactive approach is needed. Flights in and out of Israel are being grounded left and right, and there are dire threats aimed at U.S. troops in the region if America dares to support Israel. This precarious situation begs the question: would Iran be this emboldened if the Trump administration were still in power? They certainly didn’t make a habit of poking the bear back then.
