Economic coercion has failed, we must confront and contain Iran now

Following Iran’s massive drone and missile attack, world leaders seeking to discourage Israel from retaliating have repeatedly appealed to the need to maintain “regional stability.” It is a curious definition of “stability” that includes weekly barrages of Hezbollah rockets against Israeli cities, dozens of attacks on commercial ships and allied navies in the Red Sea, and three dead American soldiers in Jordan.

The collapse of anything resembling stability in the Middle East is the result of more than just the Biden administration’s lack of credibility in deterring our enemies. It reflects the failure of decades of efforts to reach a peaceful coexistence with the Islamic Republic.

Tehran has been engaged in a nearly half-century long project of exporting the Islamic Revolution and establishing regional supremacy. It has consistently sought to achieve this by not only attacking Israel, but also killing Americans and destabilizing countries across the Arab world. In response, practically every U.S. president since Jimmy Carter has tried to deter Iranian aggression through a continuously evolving mix of economic sanctions and carrots.

They have all failed. Syria, Lebanon and Yemen have been reduced to client states and Tehran holds enormous sway in Iraq, as well. Its terrorist network has grown to such an extent that it can casually target any point in the Middle East. Through it, Iran is disrupting global commerce by threatening not just the Persian Gulf, but the Red Sea, almost a thousand miles from its borders. Their arms industry has become sufficiently advanced that they may soon export more weapons than Russia, a former superpower. And Russia itself is now even dependent on Iranian arms for its war in Ukraine.

President Biden and Europe are touting a new round of sanctions that they hope will chastise Iran and mollify Israel. These will be no more successful than the “unprecedented” sanctions levied against Russia have been at ending its attack on Ukraine. China is more interested in cheap Iranian oil than in deterring Iranian aggression. And even Washington’s resolve to continue enforcing sanctions inevitably wanes when the political winds shift.

It is time to acknowledge that Tehran is not interested in peaceful coexistence and that further attempts to moderate its behavior via economic coercion will continue to be futile. Although Iran’s people, neighbors and America would all be better off with the ayatollahs relegated to the history books, another adventure in regime change would also be a mistake. Containing Iranian aggression does not require removing the regime. But it does require neutering it.

Special Operations Command has spent the last two decades honing its expertise at mapping and eliminating clandestine networks. It’s time to turn them loose on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the connective tissue that develops, supplies and guides Iran’s “Axis of Resistance.” Although Israel and the U.S. have periodically targeted IRGC operatives and leaders, it must become so deadly for them that they grow to fear leaving Iranian soil.

Most importantly, Iran’s nuclear potential must be destroyed. Tehran’s belligerence will only grow with nuclear weapons protecting it from retaliation. And there is a real risk that the fanatical regime that facilitated Hamas’ brutality on Oct. 7 will actually follow through on its threats to destroy Israel. Their nuclear infrastructure must be rapidly dismantled through whatever combination of covert and overt military action is necessary. Their ballistic missile and drone capabilities should also be targeted and their navy sunk.

War is a difficult cause to advocate for, and with good reason. It is ugly, brutal and tragic. And from east Europe to east Africa it is on the march, with daily reminders that the cost that it extracts is frequently steeper than expected. But the Islamic Republic has viewed itself as in a state of perpetual war with the U.S. since it was founded. We have tried our best to ignore that truth, which has only allowed them to grow ever stronger and bolder, escalating at their leisure.

If President Biden is serious about regional stability, he will act decisively to eliminate Iran’s ability to terrorize its neighbors. More is at stake than retaliation for last weekend’s attack. Across the Middle East our allies, Arab and Israeli, are laboring to build stable and prosperous societies. They are striving to move beyond the pervasive conflicts that have historically defined the region. Tehran is laboring just as hard to undermine them and bring them under its yoke. If we continue to dither on confronting them, we may soon reach a point where we no longer have the option. The time to act is now.

Dan Nidess served as a Marine officer from 2005-2012 and is a veteran of the war in Iraq. He has published several other articles on national security.