Biden Caves to Iran, Officially Begins Policy of Appeasement

Over the past week or so, the Biden administration has begun lifting sanctions on Iran in a desperate bid to revive the nuclear deal. Each round of economic relief has been a unilateral action, for which the US has received nothing in return. This is appeasement in action, plain and simple. By Aaron Kliegman Back in February, President Joe Biden said the US wouldn’t lift sanctions on Iran to jumpstart negotiations over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal. He also said his administration would only provide the Iranian regime such economic relief if it stopped enriching uranium beyond the limits of the deal. Fast-forward four months, however, and guess what the Biden administration did: That’s right, lift sanctions on Iran. Last week, the US Treasury Department repealed economic penalties on several former Iranian officials and energy companies. The administration is describing the moves as routine administration actions. But according to reports, Biden’s team has been discussing how to inject momentum into ongoing but stalled nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran. It appears they settled on sanctions relief as the injection. Indeed, this week, the administration went a step further and authorized certain transactions involving the Central Bank of Iran or the National Iranian Oil Company. Both entities, which the US has sanctioned for financing Iranian-backed terrorism, are crucial to the economic wellbeing of the regime. What’s so striking is that each round of sanctions relief is a unilateral action by Biden’s team, for which the US has received nothing in return. At this point they’re just gifts to Iran — gifts that only make sense if understood as gestures to encourage Iran to reciprocate. The world can see this is a desperate bid by the Biden administration to revive the nuclear deal. But even more troubling, this is the official beginning of Biden’s policy of appeasement toward Iran, which can now sit back, be patient, and wait for the concessions to come. Now, go back to Biden’s comments in February. He’s still president today. Iran has done nothing to stop enriching uranium beyond the limit of 3.67 percent purity imposed by the deal. So, what’s changed? Is there something we’re missing? After all, it wasn’t just Biden. His chief diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said in January that the US is a “long way” from lifting sanctions on Iran. “Iran is out of compliance on a number of fronts,” Blinken said. “It would take some time should it make a decision to … and time for us then to assess whether it was meeting its obligations. We are not there yet to say the least.” In other words, until there’s demonstrable evidence that Iran is returning to compliance with the deal, no sanctions relief. Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, claimed as much in April, assuring the American people their government won’t remove sanctions “unless we have clarity and confidence that Iran will fully return to compliance with its obligations under the deal.” But Iran hasn’t budged at all to comply with the accord, yet the administration is lifting sanctions. So, either Biden and his team were lying from the beginning, which is certainly possible, or they’re now so desperate for a deal that they see no other option. Either way, what the Biden administration is doing is dangerous. The nuclear deal gives Iran, an avowed enemy of the US and the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism, billions of dollars in sanctions in relief while allowing the regime to build a vast, industrialized nuclear program. And with the deal’s most important restrictions on the nuclear program set to expire within the next decade, soon enough Iran’s breakout time to get a nuclear weapon will, to quote President Barack Obama, “have shrunk almost down to zero.” In short, the deal puts Iran on a straight path to obtaining nuclear weapons while enriching the regime, which can more effectively pursue its violent imperialism across the Middle East. Yet Biden and Co. believe the nuclear deal is the answer to the Iranian problem. So, they’ll continue appeasing Iran’s leaders. Because the Biden administration just wants to return to the agreement and avoid a fight, no matter the cost. Newt hosts monthly virtual events in which he discusses news of the day and why it matters to you and your community. These Newt Live events are your opportunity to communicate directly with Newt. We hope you will join us next time and let Newt answer your questions and provide his insight on the issues that concern you most. JOIN TODAY to be a part of this special event and receive a BONUS GIFT. Click here to join Newt’s Inner Circle. More from Aaron Kliegman:

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