Three Ways to Confront Iran

By Senator Lindsey Graham

The Wall Street Journal

August 5, 2024

https://www.wsj.com/articles/three-ways-to-confront-iran-sanctions-tariffs-oil-gas-hezbollah-terrorism-nuclear-weapons-0007754d?mod=commentary_article_pos3

Iran and its proxies have intensified their attacks on Israel and on U.S. interests in the Middle East, beginning with Hamas’s barbaric incursion of Oct. 7. Much of the blame belongs to the Biden-Harris administration for deciding not to enforce sanctions against Tehran. When President Trump left office, Iran was exporting 300,000 barrels of oil a day. By October 2023, that figure was up to 1.4 million barrels a day. That generates money to fund Iran’s top export: terrorism. 

For too long, the U.S. has at best played defense when it comes to Iran. It’s time to go on offense. To that end, I have introduced a series of bills:

I call my first proposal the terrorism tariff. If a nation buys oil or gas from Iran, the U.S. would levy a tariff on all imports from that country. By buying cheap Iranian oil, China, India and others are enriching the ayatollahs, cheating the market, and blatantly violating sanctions. My proposal would make these countries choose between cheap Iranian oil and normal business with the U.S. This idea originated after many discussions with Mr. Trump, who has used tariffs with great effect to change bad behavior.

The second proposal is a resolution declaring that any Hezbollah attack on Israel is an Iranian attack on Israel. This was the position President John F. Kennedy took in the Cuban Missile Crisis—any attack emanating from Cuba would be considered an attack by the Soviet Union on the U.S.

Hezbollah is getting more provocative, and the U.S. and Israel need to recognize that the problem doesn’t begin in Lebanon. Iranian oil refineries should be on the target list if Hezbollah or other Iranian proxies continue to attack Israel. If Iran’s rulers believe we are serious about destroying or diminishing their capability to refine oil, their behavior will change.

My third proposal lays out definitive red lines for Iran’s nuclear program. If Iran crosses these lines, the U.S. would be authorized to use military force against Iran. Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons is its most potent threat. The ayatollahs continue to deny it, but when they chant “death to Israel” and “death to America,” they mean it—and we should take them seriously.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said recently that Iran has narrowed its nuclear breakout time—how long it would take to produce enough weapons-grade uranium to make a bomb—to a week or two. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence published an assessment that found “Iran continues to increase the size of its uranium stockpile, increase its enrichment capacity, and develop, manufacture, and operate advanced centrifuges. Tehran has the infrastructure and experience to quickly produce weapons-grade uranium at multiple facilities, if it chooses to do so.” I encourage every American to read that report, and I urge my congressional colleagues to read the classified version. It will put this threat into chilling perspective.

Under my proposal, if it is determined that Iran holds uranium enriched to weapons-grade level, possesses a nuclear warhead, or has obtained a delivery vehicle capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that threatens the national security interests of the U.S., then the president would be authorized to take military action.

It is hard to imagine a worse disaster for the world than if the ayatollahs acquire nuclear capability. It would throw the Middle East into a nuclear arms race and put us all on the road to Armageddon.

Until the Iranians understand what they can’t do, they will continue to sow chaos. We must define red lines for Iran and enforce them.

The only thing the Iranian regime will respect is strength. The Biden-Harris administration has been profoundly weak, and its posture toward Iran has been a catastrophic failure. Israel isn’t alone in paying the price.

We live in dangerous times. The best way to prevent further bloodshed and upheaval in the Middle East and protect America is to stand up to the Iranian regime. Together, these three legislative proposals will send an unambiguous message to Iran that the old way of doing business is over.

Mr. Graham, a Republican, is a U.S. senator from South Carolina.

Appeared in the August 6, 2024, print edition as 'Three Ways to Confront Iran'.

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