Staff Reports
When Joe Biden took the reins, the Middle East resembled a sleepy desert more than a simmering conflict zone. Fast forward to now, and it seems like the region has morphed into the set of a disastrous action movie, complete with explosions and plot twists that could only be attributed to a comedy of errors in U.S. foreign policy. The predictable chaos is a stark contrast to the relative peace that was so diligently curated during the Trump administration.
Right before the October 7 tragedy, Biden’s national security advisor was still patting the administration on the back for a “quieter” Middle East. It almost sounds like a bad joke: “What do you call a national security advisor bragging about calm before the storm?” Let’s just say, the quiet didn’t last long. Control of the situation was quickly handed over to the theocratic wannabe empire of Iran, which was previously kept on a tight leash under Trump.
How To Blow Up the Middle East War in Five Easy Steps https://t.co/qZewblKIGJ via @VDHanson If we had a functioning Congress with true leaders, & an unbiased functioning media this psychotic behavior could have been avoided. #VoteMaga2024
— George Garfinkel (@ggarf51) October 4, 2024
The five easy steps to inflame the region began with Biden branding Saudi Arabia as a “pariah” on the campaign trail. Tossing aside America’s long-standing ally was an excellent way to kick-off a friendship meltdown. In a move reminiscent of a toddler throwing a tantrum, the administration sided with Iranian-backed Houthis while accusing Saudi Arabia of war crimes in Yemen. Suddenly, the Red Sea turned into a playground for Houthi missiles, making international shipping a game of “dodge the rocket.”
Next up on the action-packed agenda was dismantling the Trump-era Abraham Accords, which had successfully coaxed moderate Arab nations to play nice with Israel—seriously, it was working! But, why keep success going when you can reinvent the wheel? Instead, Biden assumed the role of peacemaker in reverse, ensuring decades of hostilities would promptly restart, perhaps as a strange homage to failed policies of yore.
As if that didn’t spark enough chaos, Biden then attempted to reignite the infamous Iran Deal, which essentially guaranteed that Iran could eventually lay hands on a nuclear bomb. He also opened the floodgates for billions in oil profits to flood into the Iranian coffers while simultaneously showering $6 billion in ransom payments. Unsurprisingly, this gave Iran all the financial ammunition it needed to funnel weapons and cash to their terror affiliates, making things much easier for those violent antics.
To top it all off, the administration casually restored funding to the Gaza Strip without demanding any accountability from Hamas. The idea that handing out cash would result in less violence is a strategy straight from the “What Not to Do” handbook of foreign diplomacy. The U.S. basically facilitated Hamas’ operational capabilities while turning a blind eye to the terror group’s imminent threat. Just another day of misguided benevolence that would make even the most optimistic diplomat raise an eyebrow.
Finally, the administration’s response to escalating violence was to urge Israel to take a “proportional” approach to its defense. In translation, this meant sending a message to enemies that America might not stand firmly by its closest ally. This idea of balancing “creative tension” with a rogue state was a spectacular miscalculation that reads more like a bad sitcom with a predictable conclusion: chaos.
Biden and his team’s misguided approach toward Iran and its proxies ultimately resulted in a disastrous legacy—one marked by a resurgence of terrorism and turmoil in a once-calm region. America is now stuck wondering how an administration committed to “restoring friendships” ended up setting the Middle East ablaze. With this charming track record, it remains to be seen how they might “improve” their global rapport moving forward.
