U.S. foreign policy under Obama is in a shambles. The United States is now so weak that its enemies think they can not only rattle sabers but also openly threaten the nation.
The mullahs of Iran are talking tough and, almost laughably, their navy chief is openly talking about killing Americans and sinking American ships. Interesting words for a member of the United Nations!
The United States is supposedly negotiating a nuclear weapons ban with Iran, and reducing the sanctions on them, a move designed to offer them the open hand of friendship. Many people thought this was a new way of doing things, offering carrots rather than shaking a stick when trying to encourage an agreement. Others thought this was the wrong path to take against a belligerent opponent.
In what can only be seen as a direct rebuke to Obama and the United States which he pledged to defend, on Sunday, Iran threatened to “Destroy U.S. warships and kill American soldiers.” This came just one day after Iranian vessels approached U.S. waters for the first time in their maritime history.
America’s friends and enemies alike must be wondering how America could have slipped so far in world influence under the direction of the man who admonished his predecessor for besmirching the name of the United States. Obama promised to restore America’s place in the world.
How is that working out?
What can we make of Secretary of State John Kerry’s assertions that peace is at hand? His negotiations have lead not only to belligerent open threats that cannot be seen as merely for domestic consumption, but Iran has also displayed a provocative show of force, foolhardy as it may seem.
Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, the commander of the elite Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy said, “The Americans can sense by all means how their warships will be sunk with 5,000 crews and forces in combat against Iran and how they should find its hulk in the depths of the sea.”
Those are not exactly words you could say promote peace and support the U.S. aim for Iran to cease their nuclear capability.
Rear Admiral Fadavi made the statement Sunday and it was reported by the Fars News Agency. He issued these threats one day after Iranian war vessels were reported to have approached U.S. maritime borders.
Iran claimed they made this bold and unprecedented move in “response to Washington’s beefed up naval presence in the Persian Gulf.” American ships have been stationed there for more than a year, to keep international shipping lanes safe after Iran openly threatened them.
The Iranians are well aware of this.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei slammed the United States Sunday urging his Air Force to “know the enemy well.” Apparently he is unaware of Iran’s limited strike ability and the weakness of their airpower.
The Supreme leader said, “The Iranian nation should pay attention to the recent nuclear negotiations and the rude remarks of the Americans so that everyone gets to know the enemy well. The Americans speak in their private meetings with our officials in one way, and they speak differently outside these meetings; this is hypocrisy and the bad and evil will of the enemy and the nation should observe all these cases precisely.”
Sounds more like threat than a domestic pep talk.
The United States and its allies continue to hopefully bring about a permanent agreement ensuring Iran complies with the six-month interim nuclear deal and sign an accord aimed at rolling back portions of its contested program.
How this new threat will affect ongoing negotiations? Iran’s defense minister continues to reject Secretary of State John Kerry and the Obama administration’s overtures claiming that “U.S. officials cannot prevent Iran from continuing its nuclear fuel production.”
Furthermore, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan recently vowed to decimate U.S. military forces saying, “Iran will never allow the country’s nuclear fuel production cycle come to a halt,” according to a report in Fars.
Its been quite a week! The “negotiations” continue, but this time, Iran is exerting its own pressure.
