OPINION:
The midterm ballots have barely been counted, and Democrats have yet to be sworn into office, and Iran is already feeling emboldened by the idea that President Trump of America First fame — and strength — is going to be curbed by the coming Congress in his ability to stop Islamic terrorists from terrorizing the world.
The midterms have made the mullahs most happy.
“U.N. report: Iran won’t allow inspectors at uranium bunker,” The Washington Times wrote in one headline.
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This is the latest development in Iran’s never-ending quest for nuclear weaponry — a quest the Trump administration has been addressing in its monthslong military operations against the regime. The U.S.-Israel war on Iran kicked off this past February and since has led to a serious dampening of the regime’s might, most notably with the destruction of much of its nuclear facilities and uranium enrichment program.
Still, independent confirmation is tough to obtain during wartime situations. This month, The Jerusalem Post wrote this: “At roughly half of its pre-war capacity, months of airstrikes by the US-Israel coalition in operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury, as well as economic sanctions and a blockade, the Iranian regime is still more than capable of resuming hostilities in force. Despite major damage to its military infrastructure, the Islamic Republic of Iran ‘likely has at least 1,700 ballistic missiles remaining,’ and is building more every day, according to a Western official citing military intelligence reports.”
Enter Democrats.
Enter the new Democrat-led Congress on Jan. 3, with all their promises to end the war — immediately — and bring in Secretary of War Pete Hegseth — and whomever else they can rope — for impeachment, impeachment, impeachment.
So long, U.S.-Israel allied attacks to root out radical Islamism and save the Western way.
Iran’s terror regime knew full well it only had to bide its time and wait a bit and once the election went Democrat — whether this midterm or the upcoming general in 2028 — then all the hardcore, anti-terror operations would end. Out with the war. In with the diplomacy.
In with the cash.
“Iran tells U.N. nuclear agency that monitoring cannot proceed while it is under threat,” The Associated Press wrote.
So how to know how many ballistic missiles Iran has at its disposal, as well as how close the regime may or may not be to manufacturing, or moving closer to manufacturing, nuclear weapons?
With Democrats already signaling defeat, Iran knows it can afford to grow bolder with its defiance. The regime is expert at two things: propaganda and playing victim.
“Iran insisted discussions on resuming inspections in the country cannot resume amid ‘a series of persistent, explicit, and public threats by the president of the United States of America … to commit further acts of armed aggression’ against Iran ‘particularly targeting its nuclear facilities,’” AP wrote, citing a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Poor, poor putty-tat Iran.
Pwesident Twump has been weally, weally mean.
“Michigan Democrat Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed has delivered a blunt message directly to [Secretary of War Pete] Hegseth, telling him to quit his job after House Republicans blocked an impeachment effort against the Pentagon chief,” The Times of India reported.
On CNN, to host Kaitlan Collins, El-Sayed was asked if Democrats should continue to try and impeach Hegseth, and in response, the soon-to-be-senator said, directly to Hegseth, “Why are you still doing this job? You are really bad at this. You are failing your responsibility. … So just resign.”
And all of Iran’s terrorists go: Allahu akbar!
Barack Obama, when president, gave Iran lots of diplomatic head-pats followed by bunches of cash followed by a written agreement that wasn’t worth the paper on which it was written.
Trump gave Iran lots of bombs and sanctions — and that’s all in return for the regime’s decades of terror, beginning in 1979 (under a Democrat president named Jimmy Carter) with the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and the abduction of 52 American diplomats and civilians. They were held hostage for 444 days (until a Republican president named Ronald Reagan was sworn into office — truly, it was right after his inauguration).
From Democrat to Republican. From hostage-taking to hostage-releasing. Iran only responds to tough action.
“I will do whatever it takes to end the war faster,” said Democrat Sen.-elect Sherrod Brown to NBC 4.
Iran knows that; Iran understands that. And what Iran truly knows and understands is that Democrats will do whatever it takes to stop Trump — even if it means helping the regime.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “God-Given Or Bust: Defeating Marxism and Saving America With Biblical Truths,” is available by clicking HERE.
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