Obama should publicly say if he intends to strike Iran, urges Washington Post

If President Barack Obama is determined to use military action against Iran if it crosses “red lines” in its nuclear program, he should say so, publicly, a Washington Post editorial stated Saturday. Doing so would reassure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and stave off unilateral Israeli action against Iran — and may convince Iran that it has to compromise with the international community.

The editorial described the US and Israeli public disagreement on timetables vis-à-vis Iran’s nuclear program as damaging. “It conveys to Iran that there is no need to worry about a war; certainly, the country’s leaders have been behaving as if they feel no pressure to compromise. It also creates the bizarre spectacle of senior US military and diplomatic officials focusing their time and attention on trying to prevent an Israeli attack rather than an Iranian bomb.”

The editorial highlighted two areas that underline the gaps between the Israeli and American sense of urgency on Iran: the heated argument between US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and Netanyahu over Obama’s handling of the Iranian threat, and Obama’s failure to provide Netanyahu with a clear, public statement on his “willingness” to use military action against Iran if it crosses red lines in its nuclear program.

Netanyahu has repeatedly contended that sanctions against Tehran have failed to stall the progress of its nuclear program. He has further argued that conflict with the Islamic republic would be less likely if the international community “set a clear red line for Iran that it knows it cannot go beyond in its pursuit of nuclear weapons.”

The Washington Post editorial added that Israel, which has sought concrete assurances from the US regarding Iran’s illicit nuclear program, has not been placated by Obama’s repetition of the “all options are on the table” policy when it comes to Iran.

Explicit statements on Iran by Obama would have their dangers, the editorial acknowledged. “But if Mr. Obama really is determined to take military action if Iran takes decisive steps toward producing a bomb, such as enriching uranium to bomb-grade levels or expelling inspectors, he would be wise to say so publicly. Doing so would improve relations with Mr. Netanyahu and deter unilateral Israeli action — and it might well convince Iran that the time has come to compromise.”