(RepublicanPress.org) – Iran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel on Saturday, April 13, using hundreds of missiles and aerial drones (UAVs). Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) blocked most of those incoming weapons systems with the assistance of the United Kingdom, the US, Jordan, France, and other partner states. However, the conversation surrounding the attacks quickly turned toward the possibility of a region-wide military conflict, with one expert expressing concern that President Joe Biden’s lack of a forceful and proactive response could cause a catastrophic war.
The following day, London School of Economics and Political Science Professor Fawaz A. Gerdes spoke with NBC News about Biden’s response to the current state of affairs in the Middle East. The noted Lebanese-American academic and US foreign policy expert lashed out at the president and his ongoing inability to influence Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision-making regarding the use of military force in Gaza and throughout the region.
Gerdes didn’t hold any punches when discussing Biden’s impotence with the Israeli head. For instance, he said the White House’s strategy “has failed miserably” at one point during the discussion. Alarmingly, he cautioned that the president was “sleepwalking the [United States] in another catastrophic war in the Middle East.”
The international relations professor explained that Biden’s “overarching goal” of preventing the Israel-Hamas war from spreading to countries outside of Gaza had fallen completely apart. Putting it bluntly, Fawaz said the president had proven his inability to “influence Netanyahu’s decisions” toward Hamas, the ongoing military conflict in Gaza, and Iran.
Benjamin Friedman, the head of policy for Defense Priorities, echoed that sentiment. He warned that Netanyahu had “courted” the idea of attacking Iran, perhaps thinking that the US would help in that effort. He suggested that Biden should have made it clear to the Israeli leader that “US support” has limitations and doesn’t “extend to all circumstances.
Nevertheless, NBC News reported that unnamed US military sources confirmed that American forces operating in the reason were committed to continuing their efforts to shoot down any Iranian-based drones targeting Israel in the future. The official said US troops “remain postured to provide additional defensive support” throughout the region.
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