OPINION:
Most people — particularly Western elitists — have no clue what a real political grand strategy is, even when they are staring one in the face. The U.S. faces three important enemies today: China, Putin’s Russia and Iran. Each is engaged in assaults on the West and the U.S. The U.S. lacks the power and dominance to enforce its will on all three.
However, China and Russia are not imminent threats. Russia’s real limits are being laid bare in Ukraine and Vladimir Putin may not survive long. China is utterly dependent on the U.S. economy, just like the American fentanyl addicts are dependent on the Chinese supplying the drug. That leaves Iran.
Iran has killed thousands of Americans since 1980. It was the main supporter of the militias that made the Iraq war so long and unsuccessful. It has always said they it would wipe out the Jews, Israel and then the U.S. Evil is often honest and out in the open about its intent, and this is the case with the Iranian regime.
Yet despite this, the West has refused to address Iran — and more importantly, refused to let Israel deal with it. Oct. 7, 2023, changed everything. Israel refused to let the American political left dictate war policy and has been exterminating Hamas and Hezbollah. The Houthis have been contained and partially defanged. In addition, Russia can no longer support Iran, nor can China, which is undergoing an internal power struggle and economic recession.
The Iranian regime is struggling to keep power internally. Now is our chance to topple it and simply leave it to the Iranians to decide what to do afterward, no U.S. boots on the ground. The threat is real. Half of Iran’s missiles are nuke-capable. Iran bought a warhead design from North Korea that has been tested and is probably operational. Israel said years ago it believed Iran had built 50 warheads that only needed uranium cores to be operational — which is why all the reports show it rapidly getting to 50 to 60 warheads. Now is the time to prevent the nukes and damage the regime so the Iranian people can overturn it.
But this is a huge step forward in grand strategy. Iran is a major supplier to Russia’s Ukrainian war effort. Toppling Iran badly hurts Russia. Iran has also helped Russia’s “black fleet” sell its oil. The loss of Iranian support matters very much on the ground in Ukraine and is a way to hurt Mr. Putin without a direct attack.
China buys most of Iran’s oil exports and Russian oil. The fall of the Iranian regime will badly hurt China at a time when Xi’s power is collapsing and internal struggles are rising. It will also hurt the Chinese economy. Taking out the weakest and most vulnerable leg of the triad threatening the U.S. is a huge step in neutralizing China and potentially toppling the KGB/Putin regime ruling in Russia.
It is classical grand strategy at its best and something the West has failed miserably at since the collapse of the USSR. The silence out of Europe is interesting with regard to the potential toppling of Iran. Could it be the European Union mandarins are starting to understand? Of course, they will never say President Trump was right. But if he is successful, it will send the American and European left off the cliff in a frenzy of Trump Derangement Syndrome.
JAMES BARENDS
Wayne, Pennsylvania
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