President Biden’s challenge is to get past these outbursts and focus on providing more support in words and deeds to protesters. We need to take advantage of the growing international hatred and put more pressure on the shaky regime.
In this regard, Biden can count on the Supreme Leader’s unwitting help. Khamenei’s brutal crackdown on protesters is helping to undo the damage done to the international consensus against theocratic states by Donald Trump’s recklessness. European leaders, frustrated by the unilateral secession from the It reminds me of
There is also a reality check for Gulf Arab states, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are seeking to ease tensions with the Islamic Republic. A new intelligence report suggests Iran is planning to resume its attack on the Petrostate, and the regime’s news outlet has released a video mockup of what it might look like. provided it.
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi rulers say Tehran will give Tehran a greater launch pad for airborne threats to Persian Gulf sea lanes and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the Emirates with the emergence of a new Iraqi government controlled by Iranian proxies. I know. The Saudis have already withstood attacks from Iraq. On the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi militias are again threatening attacks on Saudi and Emirati oil companies.
If Europeans and Arabs need more proof of the Iranian threat, they should look to Ukraine, where the Russian military is using Tehran-supplied Shahed-136 drones to target civilian infrastructure. is. As a good move, Iran is reportedly sending short-range ballistic missiles to Russia.
This should reward Europeans’ tendency to view the Iranian threat as one aspect, a nuclear threat, and negotiable. The European Union is already preparing sanctions against Tehran over the sale of drones to Russia, and the shipment of missiles will undoubtedly provoke a stronger response.
The European Union, like the United States, has also imposed sanctions on regime officials responsible for cracking down on Iranian protesters. German Foreign Minister Annalena Beerbock said the EU was “considering ways to list the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization”. Remember the hesitation Europeans had when Trump slapped that designation at the IRGC in 2019.
This reversal did not require a diplomatic effort by the Biden administration.Images of egregious abuses by Iranian security forces were enough to persuade European leaders to commit to a large-scale campaign of solidarity in their capitals. The demonstration helped solidify their resolve.
Now the Biden administration needs to build on this growing consensus and put more pressure on Tehran. , European support is essential. Canada and New Zealand are already calling for Iran to be removed. The EU should join this effort.
Other countries, including Russia and China, would hesitate. But a strong push by the US-led coalition may be enough to overcome the opposition. Even if the effort fails, it will show the protesters the broad international support they have won.
If Ayatollah Khamenei continues to take tough action against them, the Biden administration may be able to persuade Europeans to expel officials from the Iranian embassy, ​​but the US does not have diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic. Therefore, this tactic cannot be adopted.
The resolve of the protesters and the tyranny of their rulers allowed the US to garner international support behind its efforts to introduce more Starlink receivers into Iran, prompting the Iranians to end the regime’s communications cutoff. The more they can share images of their valiant resistance and the horrific oppression they endure, the stronger the international reaction will be, and the more power Biden will have available.
More thoughts from other Bloomberg writers:
If Putin orders nuclear weapons, will his generals obey?: Andreas Cruz
NATO’s nuclear war game is a risk that needs to be taken: James Stavridis
Can the US take on China, Iran and Russia all at once?: Hal Brands
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Bobby Ghosh is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist on foreign policy. Previously, he was Editor-in-Chief of Hindustan Times, Editor-in-Chief of Quartz and International Editor of Time.
More articles like this can be found at bloomberg.com/opinion.
