Isolate the Isolationists
How Iran’s foolish and foiled attack on Israel proves why American engagement remains vital to regional security.
Iran’s attack against Israel this weekend, firing more than 350 missiles and drones that were nearly all intercepted and shot down, provided a vivid reminder of how dangerous the Middle East is today—and the important role the United States and its allies in the region still play in preventing the wider wars and worst-case scenarios from unfolding.
The unprecedented assault directly on Israel comes on top of months of aggressive behavior from Iran and its proxies, including attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea by Iranian-backed Houthis, attacks on U.S. troops across the region, ballistic missile strikes in Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan, and cyberattacks on U.S. water systems and companies that use Israeli-made computer systems.
Iran’s attack also demonstrates how America’s divided politics and drift towards isolationism among elements of the left and the right directly undermines America’s security, weakens the future defense of our friends in the region, and imperils a clear response to emerging threats from Iran and its proxies.
The key policy and political questions involve what comes next—both to anticipate different scenarios and plan for contingencies. On the policy front, in addition to maintaining robust support and coordination with Israel, America should prioritize four key actions:
Offer steadier support to Middle East partners in defending against shared threats. Some Middle East partners across the region including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have perceived a double standard during the past few years in America’s strong responses to Russia’s attack against Ukraine, at least in the early stages of the war, and America’s defense of Israel, and contrast that to what they see as slower responses to attacks by Iran and its network of partners against them and across the region. The United States can fix that by continuing to help Israel and adopting a more proactive defense in coordination with all countries it works with in the region.
Work to build more collective defense arrangements in the Middle East. A silver lining from this weekend’s attack by Iran is that years of unglamorous work to coordinate air defenses with partners like Jordan and Saudi Arabia have paid off—and such coordination remains the best way to keep America and its partners safe. For years, various U.S. administration have talked about developing a more collective defense pact in the region, with some suggesting even an “Arab NATO” and other ways to advance regional security integration and cooperation. Now is a good time to develop some of those plans.
Deal with the long-term threats and challenges posed by Iran. Iran demonstrated the relative weakness of its conventional military forces with its attack on Israel. Indeed, that’s why Iran has built relationships and offered support to terrorist groups and militias—to undercut a regional security system it doesn’t have the military wherewithal to challenge outright. A bipartisan coalition to devise a new, comprehensive U.S. policy on Iran will be required, one that addresses the full range of challenges, threats, and opportunities posed by Iran to U.S. national security interests and values.
Advance a realistic game plan for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, along with instability in the West Bank, have once again spotlighted the need for a long-term resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Biden administration needs to make this goal a higher priority, but it also needs to be mindful of the domestic political constraints among Palestinians and Israelis alike as it seeks to pursue a two-state solution in the long-term. Steadier U.S. security and diplomatic engagement in the Middle East is needed to foster the right conditions among Palestinians and Israelis to achieve these long-term goals.
On the political front, Iran’s escalation also acts like an MRI or CT scan on the U.S. foreign policy debate just as the October 7th attack did—it exposes the hollow advice of isolationist voices who have argued for years that America should retreat from the Middle East, and that this would somehow make the region and the world more secure.
The images of Israel shooting down nearly all of the missiles and drones, in cooperation with the United States and many Arab and European partners, calls to mind Democrats on the far left who voted to cut off funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system back in 2021 and are now threatening military aid to Israel over its campaign in Gaza. This weekend’s attack also reminds us that an extreme right-wing faction of congressional Republicans with the backing of Donald Trump has held up funding for U.S. support to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan for more than half a year now—critical military aid requested by President Biden months ago and passed by the U.S. Senate in February.
It's perfectly reasonable in a democracy to ask questions about the nature and goals of U.S. military aid and other foreign assistance. But we’ve reached a point where small groups of politicians on the left and right are blocking majorities in both the House and Senate—majorities backed by the American public—from passing legislation that provides vital defensive assistance to our friends while checking the aggressive and destabilizing actions of Iran, Russia, and China.
The Iranian attacks appear to have prodded Speaker Johnson to finally deal with funding for Israel this week—and perhaps for Ukraine and Taiwan in a proposed multi-vote process. Although a clean vote on the already passed Senate supplemental would be the easiest way forward, at least the House leader recognizes his party can no longer afford to dither while America’s enemies in Iran and Russia attack our friends in Israel and Ukraine.
We know that the world is watching us to see how we react,” Mr. Johnson told reporters. “We have terrorists and tyrants and terrible leaders around the world like Putin and Xi and in Iran, and they’re watching to see if America will stand up for its allies and our interests around the globe—and we will.”
America’s enemies are no fools and recognize that rising isolationism in our domestic politics aids their efforts. Those of us in the vital center must get together now to prove them wrong—and defend our friends and our national security interests.