Column: The nuke-pursuing mullahs richly deserve an actual defeat
Matthew Continetti • December 2, 2022 5:00 am
President Biden could not contain his excitement. It was November 29 and he had just learned that the U.S. men’s national soccer team was headed to the next round of the World Cup after winning a match against Iran by a single goal. Eager to spread news of America’s victory, Biden returned to the stage at the Michigan venue where he had just delivered remarks on the economy. Chants of “USA” broke out in the crowd. The president joined in the celebration. “That’s a big game, man!” he said.
Indeed, it was. I was among the estimated 12 million people who watched the game on television that afternoon. I cheered when the 24-year-old midfielder Christian Pulisic kicked the winning goal though it meant he’d be injured. My stomach was in knots during the second half as the Americans, without Pulisic, fended off a sustained Iranian offensive. I was happy to see good sportsmanship among the athletes on both teams and welcomed the comments that Iran’s team captain, Ehsan Hajsafi, made a few days earlier in support of the anti-government protests roiling his country.
But let’s be serious. A soccer game is no substitute for grand strategy. And right now, Biden’s Iran policy is a shambles. The Islamic theocrats who rule Iran are responding to internal revolt with savage repression and external terror. They…
