It’s not America’s foreign policy,
It’s Obama’s foreign policy.
There will never be an American military operation against Iran. The Obama administration has accepted the thesis that not only will Iran come to possess nuclear weapons but Iran’s possession of such weapons is justifiable. Consider the fact that no nuclear armed country has suffered a conventional armed invasion or been forced to lose territory or accept an unfavorable peace. In the 1980’s Iran was invaded by Iraq, fought an eight year inconclusive war and suffered over 800,000 causalities. Traditionally they have seen their Sunni neighbors and Russians as historic adversaries. The strong anti-Israel rhetoric was done to claim the mantle of Islamic leadership and disarm open Sunni opposition to a nuclear armed Iran. The Iranians have no doubt “assured” the Israelis and Obama that it was only rhetoric and Iran fully understands that Israel itself has nuclear weapons.
This thesis is probably delusional and projects a rationality that the mullahs have never demonstrated. However it is very conducive to an administration that wishes to redefine America’s position in the Mid East and relations to the Muslim world.It is also an Administration that is loathe to start a third major war in the area. It puts Israel in a terrible position. They can never assume that Iran’s nuclear weapons are only defensive. Yet without open American involvement. they probably cannot be successful if they take military action alone. The Obama administration probably fears that a desperate Israel under Netanyahu might attack and drag America into a shooting war. Obama’s minions will no doubt insidiously involve themselves in the coming Israeli election and covertly seek to defeat him.
C’mon, Ollie. Look who’s in the White House.
I think it’s been our only option for a long time, we just haven’t had the nerve to do it. We still don’t.