Why is Biden joining the warpath against Iran?

The president signed an agreement saying it would use all elements of US power, including force, to stop Tehran from getting a bomb.

July 20, 2022

Written by Ted Snider

On March 24, President Biden drew a red line: if Russia uses chemical weapons in Ukraine, it “would trigger a response” from NATO. Asked to elaborate on the nature of the response, Biden had no script to guide him. “The nature of the response would depend on the nature of the use.” Then, he elaborated: “It would trigger a response in kind,” seemingly announcing that the US would respond to a Russian chemical weapons attack with a chemical weapons attack of their own.

Two days later, at the end of his speech, Biden seemed to call for a coup in Russia, adding the line, “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.”

The White House fixers had to walk back Biden’s threats. Biden has the dangerous habit for a president of going off script and saying things that don’t seem to reflect the U.S. policy he is supposed to be articulating. 

On July 13, he seemed to do it again. Asked by an interviewer if the U.S. would use force to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, Biden answered, “if that was the last resort, yes.”

But he hadn’t done it again. This time, the White House didn’t walk it back. They signed it. On July 14, the White House announced the signing of the “Joint Declaration on the US-Israel Strategic Partnership.” That declaration states not only the familiar U.S. commitment “never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon,” but, as Biden had said, “that it is prepared to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome.”