From uranium enrichment to terrorism, the Iranian regime is behaving in an increasingly aggressive manner. In this week’s Action Update, we look at Iran’s most recent brazen efforts to wreak havoc around the world.

Iran Enriching Uranium at New Highs

The magic number when enriching Uranium to weapons grade levels is 90%. Once Uranium is enriched to that level, it is considered fissile. Basically, it’s at that point that you can use the material in a nuclear bomb. In recent days, the International Atomic Energy Agency has disclosed that Iran has enriched Uranium to 84%.

Such a level of Uranium purity is far above anything useable in the production of civilian nuclear energy, but we were never under the illusion that Iran’s nuclear program was focused on anything but military applications.

We now live in a world where the Iranians are on the cusp of possessing a nuclear weapons capability. And while there is, at least in theory, a military solution to Iran’s ability to produce the bomb, one cannot destroy knowledge. Once it is acquired, it is there to stay. The U.S. must coordinate with our European and Middle Eastern allies to launch a firm and united diplomatic and economic response to this latest highly troubling development.  

Iran Acquiring & Selling New Weapons

Iran’s nuclear program is not the only reason the U.S. should adopt a more direct and unequivocal position concerning Tehran. The regime is selling death and destruction around the globe since the international community let the arms embargo on the Islamic Republic expire in 2020. That embargo should be renewed (obviously), and likewise, countries that provide Iran with weapons should be punished.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of Tehran’s primary partners in crime in this context is Moscow. In fact, Iran is building an underground air force base and according to new reports is likely to be stocking that facility with advanced Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets.

Sometimes geo-politics isn’t as complicated as the Ph.D.’s might have you believe. Iran supplies Russia with drones to murder innocent Ukrainians, and Russia is planning to supply Iran with planes to murder innocent Israelis, Arabs and others. It’s that simple.

Iranian Terror on the High Seas

The Iranians have already denied the aforementioned report about their nuclear enrichment, lied about their drone sales to the Russians and will no doubt lie to the world about their intention to acquire advanced Russian jets. So, in sum, Iran denies it, America pretends to believe it, and for what? We all know what Iran intends to do with the weapons it acquires; let’s all stop pretending otherwise.

Case in point, earlier this month an Iranian drone targeted a tanker in the Arabian Sea owned by an Israeli company. There wasn’t a great deal of damage, but it’s clear Iran was both signaling their willingness to engage in such attacks and testing out their weapon.

China and Russia want to get their hands on Iranian drones, and both countries have conventional weapons they could sell to Iran that would dramatically increase the Tehran’s ability to wage conventional warfare.

The free world is therefore reaching a tipping point in its relationship with the Islamic Republic. The decision by the Obama administration to channel Chamberlin rather than Churchill has put the free world in a very precarious position. Put another way, past appeasement has brought us to this perilous moment.  But it’s not too late to right the ship while avoiding significant bloodshed.

The U.S., Europe, Israel, and Arab regimes can contend with the Iranian threat and the increasingly robust relationships between Tehran, Moscow and Beijing, but only if they work together and take the gloves off. A united front can prevent a multi-front war with the world’s leading pariah states so long as capitals across Europe, the Middle East and North America internalize the centuries old adage, Si vis pacem, para bellum – if you want peace, prepare for war.

Sincerely,

The CUFI Action Fund Team