Today the USIP made a statement about the Hamas attack on Israel. They pointed out that Hamas, although a Palestinian movement, is armed and trained by the support of Iran. While US and Israeli officials were initially concerned that Iran was complicit in the attack on Israel, there has been no evidence at this time that Iran directed or was behind it. The US has subsequently warned Iran not to get involved in the current situation.
Iran has been of grave concern to the US for some time now because of it’s potential for making nuclear weapons. Through several presidencies, with bipartisan convictions, the US has considered Iran one of the greatest threats to US interests in the Middle East. In addition to attempted nuclear weapon proliferation, Iran has created increasingly accurate ballistic missiles, provided drones to Russia, provided financial and military support to militias in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen as well as Hamas and Hezbollah, increased aggression against the US at sea, conducted cyberattacks against the US government and plotted the assassination of US officials. According to intelligence, Iran has the supplies and the capability to make four nuclear weapons in a year or two. Since November of 2022, the US and Israel have increased their joint military operations to combat any move by Iran to produce such weapons. The “Juniper Oak 23” exercise held in January 2023 was the largest U.S.-Israeli military exercise ever conducted. Although numerous US officials have stated that diplomacy is the best way to deal with Iran’s plans for nuclear weapons, all have ended their statements with words along the lines of “but nothing is off the table.”
Israel-Hamas War: U.S. and Europe on Iran Role (October 12, 2023)
U.S.: The Iran Threat & Options (August 1, 2023)
