US naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. (Handout photo by US Navy via Getty Images)
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The fastest way ending the war in Iran means resuming hostilities. The mullahs who run Iran still believe they can emerge victorious. For them, survival would be a resounding victory. These fanatics have no interest in the welfare of Iranians. If they are still in power when the war is over, they will go back to their evil ways, regardless of any deals that have been made.
By repeatedly calling for an agreement, the US has given our adversaries and allies the impression that we desperately need an end to the war because of global and domestic political pressures. Rising oil prices and a lack of available oil are increasingly weighing on economies everywhere. However, it is not just energy that is affected. Adverse effects on fertilizers affect food costs and supply, particularly in poorer countries.
The US made a huge mistake by imposing an early ceasefire. It took the US and Israel another two weeks of operations to hit all the intended targets. The early cessation of hostilities led the murderous mullahs to believe that they could wait for us, despite the terrible damage done to Iran.
It cannot be said enough: We are not dealing with reasonable people here. Given this grim reality, the course of action is clear. No more negotiations with this government, either face to face or over the phone. Go ahead and tighten the block. Seizure of known bank accounts of Iranian officials, especially those of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). And, very crucially, repeat the bombing and take out all the intended targets.
Only through these measures will this awful regime of disaffected sections of the army, which is not completely infected with extremists, be eliminated. We, and certainly the Israelis, probably have contact with disgruntled people in the military. But they won’t move unless they’re absolutely sure we won’t abandon them.
Our record here is anything but reassuring. We refused to support the great uprising of 2009. Instead, President Obama made it clear that he wanted to confront the mullahs. Earlier this year, we urged Iranians to take to the streets, that we had their backs. But when they did, we didn’t immediately attack the regime.
In recent weeks, our continued efforts to confront the regime have meant that it could survive and be able to punish those who opposed it. We need to make it clear that the regime is going, that the IRGC and its local security forces will be eliminated and that a new government will take over.
Opponents of the regime in the armed forces will only take the necessary steps if they are confident that we will not betray them.
