President Joe Biden is facing criticism from Republicans for loosening sanctions on Iran, which includes granting the nation access to billions of dollars in previously frozen assets. This decision was made prior to Iran’s launch of a significant drone attack on Israel, a key ally of the United States.
During the early morning hours on Sunday (Israel time), Iran launched over 300 drone and missile strikes into Israel as a retaliation for Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1. Israel reported that it successfully intercepted 99% of the missiles, resulting in limited damage and no casualties. However, this escalation has raised concerns about a potential increase in conflict in the Middle East.
The attack was attributed, in part, by Republican members of Congress to the Biden administration’s decision to ease sanctions against Iran.
According to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Iran has been continually targeting Israel and its allies from various fronts for several months. In his statement, he highlights that these attacks have been launched from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, the West Bank, Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon, and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. What’s more concerning is that Iran has now taken it a step further by directly launching attacks from its own territory.
Cruz went on to assert that the attacks taking place are a direct result of deliberate policy decisions made by Joe Biden and his officials. According to Cruz, these choices have allowed a staggering $100 billion to flow into Iran since 2021. As a result of these policies, both Americans and Israelis find themselves in a significantly more precarious position, leaving them vulnerable to catastrophic outcomes.
Biden lifted the sanctions, granting Iran access to billions of dollars in previously frozen assets. This move was made in an effort to encourage the country to comply with the terms of the nuclear deal negotiated during the presidency of Barrack Obama.
U.S. Representative Greg Steube, a Republican from Florida, placed some blame on the Biden administration for Iran’s missile attack.
According to Florida Politics, Representative Steube criticized President Biden for his perceived weakness in dealing with Iran. Steube expressed concern over the billions of dollars given to Iran, which he believes has enabled them to launch attacks on both U.S. soldiers and Israel. He called for the destruction of Iran’s military capability and the reinstatement of severe economic sanctions. Steube contrasted the current situation with Iran’s financial state when Trump left office, stating that they were broke then but are now enriched, empowered, and emboldened.
In a statement, President Biden expressed his condemnation of the attacks and assured that the United States will provide its full support to Israel.
“In order to bolster Israel’s defense, the U.S. military deployed aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region as per my instructions,” stated Biden. He further added, “Thanks to the exceptional expertise of our servicemembers, we successfully aided Israel in intercepting the majority of the incoming drones and missiles.”
Israel vowed to take action in response, but President Biden made it clear that the United States would not provide assistance to Israel in any retaliatory measures. Instead, Biden emphasized his intention to gather the leaders of the G7 countries and work together to devise a cohesive diplomatic response to Iran’s bold attack.
In a recent social media post, former President Donald Trump expressed his belief that if he were still in office, Iran would never have launched an attack on Israel.
“The weakness we’ve displayed is truly astonishing,” remarked Trump on Truth Social. “This would never have occurred if we were still in power.”
Israel is currently involved in a conflict with Hamas in Gaza, following a surprise attack by the Iranian-backed terrorist group that resulted in the loss of over 1,100 lives and the capture of numerous hostages on October 7. In the aftermath of Israel’s invasion of Gaza, there has been a significant rise in antisemitic incidents across the United States, with preliminary data from the Anti-Defamation League indicating a 360% increase.
After seven months of fierce conflict, the death toll among Palestinians has tragically surpassed 33,000.