United States President Joe Biden had one clear message for Iran: "Don't."
But they did. Throughout last week, US officials were working through the back channels to stop Iran from retaliating against Israelis for the suspected airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in Syria.
On Saturday, April 13, Iran launched over 300 projectiles – including around 170 drones and over 120 ballistic missiles – toward Israel, marking the first time in history that the Islamic Republic has launched a direct attack on Israel through its territory.
While Iran's retaliation was largely unsuccessful, they proved that they don't take American warnings seriously.
Yesterday was the Biden administration's chance to prove to the world that they remain consistent in their message regarding the Islamic Republic. Still, even now, President Joe Biden has made it clear to Israel that the US would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran.
If there are no consequences to Iran's large-scale attack, then there is no need for the Republic ever to take Washington's threats seriously. Iran is at liberty to push the region to full-scale war by activating its proxies across the Middle East.
The Biden administration deserves credit for coming to Israel's defense in the moments that mattered. Despite tension between Biden and Netanyahu, America was instrumental in helping Israel intercept the majority of these Iranian missiles and drones, and they continue to offer tremendous logistical and technological support for Israel and will do so should Israel choose to retaliate.
Iran was likely unprepared for the strategic and diplomatic alliance of the West and Arab countries. The United Kingdom, the United States, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt all worked with Israel to intercept Iranian UAVs and missiles. This alliance and cooperation is truly historic and shows Iran that they are no match for Israeli and Western countermeasures. Iran also demonstrated that they are a threat to the Arab region, showing that the Islamic Republic does not care that Israel's neighbors could get caught in the crossfire of their retaliation campaign.
The Islamic Republic announced that it is considering the matter closed after the end of this attack. Whether or not Israel agrees is a different story. Iranians have warned that should Israel retaliate, it will respond harshly and has warned the United States to stay out of any escalation.
The reality is that this is not just a war between Israel and Iran; this is a war between Islamic fundamentalists that aims to destabilize the entire region against the Western alliances. If Israel decides to retaliate against Iranian aggression, the Western allies cannot sit on the sidelines while we do so.
Last night, everything changed. The Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been funding and arming terror via its proxies and wreaking havoc across the region for years, has finally shown their true colors by launching this assault on Israeli civilians.
Now is the time for an opportunity to create a new Middle East, one that can rid itself of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism; it just requires brave leaders who can show the Islamic Republic that their threats and terrorism will not be tolerated.
The idea of World War III sounds scary, but last night proved that Iran is no match for a united Western front. Israel should never tolerate these types of attacks on its civilians and is justified in a full-throated response against Iranian aggression. This would include attacking Iran's nuclear facilities, targeting Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps bases, or even attacking members of the Islamic Republic in Tehran, all of which are up for discussion.
Whatever happens next, the United States and its allies have a responsibility to stand unequivocally behind Israel and fight this war alongside the only democracy in the Middle East that has tolerated Iran's aggression for too long. This is the time for brave leadership that shows the Islamic Republic what "Don't" truly means.
