As tensions between Israel and Iran have recently heightened, the United States has found itself in the inevitable position of choosing whether or not it should intervene in the increasingly tense conflict. After Israel bombed an Iranian embassy in Syria earlier this month, Iran responded to the attack with a series of drone and missile strikes that were largely unsuccessful. These tit-for-tat attacks, against the backdrop of Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza, have sparked fears among world leaders that the skirmishes could lead to a regional conflict in the already volatile region. President Joe Biden has already urged Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to respond further to Iranian attacks, especially after Israel showed that it could effectively repel an aerial offensive. The United States, so far, has basically given Israel carte blanche for its war in Gaza. It cannot do the same if Israel chooses to escalate the brewing conflict with Iran.
The United States does not have a strong history of success in recent Middle Eastern conflicts. The 2003 invasion of Iraq quickly became a massive foreign policy blunder that led to much of the ISIS-led violence that broke out in Iraq and Syria in the following years. Similarly, the United States spent nearly 20 fruitless years attempting to build democracy in Afghanistan before finally throwing in the towel in 2021 and admitting defeat to the Taliban. If the United States was to involve itself directly or even indirectly in a conflict between Israel and Iran, there is no telling of the negative consequences that could emerge in the Middle East. Nations such as Iraq and Syria, which have already suffered greatly in recent years, could be caught up in the crossfire between arguably the two most powerful militaries in the region. Furthermore, if the United States acts to aggressively back Israel, other superpowers could choose to involve themselves, just as Russia did when Vladimir Putin supported Bashar Al-Assad during the Syrian Civil War. There is already growing evidence of an emerging strategic partnership between Iran and Russia that would make a conflict between Israel and Iran even more dangerous and deadly.
Perhaps the greatest hope for de-escalation is if the United States chooses to strong-arm Israel into backing down from more skirmishes with Iran. President Biden informed Netanyahu that the United States would not participate in any sort of offensive action against Iran before Iran launched drone strikes. However, the United States must do more to prevent Israel from escalating the conflict than even this measure. President Biden could publicly call for a reduction of hostilities or stem the flow of weapons to Israel if they will be used in action against Iran. It appears that the best course for the United States to take would be to pressure Israel and Iran — by whatever means necessary — to avoid a regional conflict and manage to stay out of a war if one does break out. Such pressure would likely be far more effective on Israel given the historically frosty relationship that has existed between the United States and Iran. Additionally, based upon obvious precedent, the United States can clearly choose to influence Israeli foreign policy if it wishes to.
This is clearly a highly volatile time in the Middle East. Although it would be an unusual right step forward for United States foreign policy, it is time for President Biden to learn from our country’s past failures and avoid entering another potentially endless and unsuccessful war in the region. Furthermore, the United States should use all of the resources at its disposal to halt the conflict between Israel and Iran. The United States historically has not acted with much intelligence or moral clarity in the Middle East. De-escalating the emerging conflict would be an important step in beginning to rectify this legacy.
Theodore Brita is a senior majoring in political science.
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