Secretary of State Antony Blinken published an op-ed Tuesday touting the Biden-Harris administration’s foreign policy record, stating they took drastic deviations from former President Trump, the same day Iran directly attacked Israel with hundreds of ballistic missiles.
Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles towards targets in Israel Tuesday evening local time in what the administration called a “signigicant escalation by Iran.” The indiscriminate rocket fire were part of the Shia regime’s response to Israel assassinating nearly all of Hezbollah senior leadership, including long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Hours before Iran’s attack, Blinken’s op-ed touted how Biden-Harris’ “renewal” strategy post-Trump was working and strengthening America’s interests abroad.
“The Biden administration’s strategy has put the United States in a much stronger geopolitical position today than it was four years ago,” Blinken said.
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Blinken said the administration prioritized international cooperation and avoided making decisions abroad in isolation.
“From day one, President Biden and Vice President Harris made a foundational choice that in a more competitive and combustible world, the United States cannot go it alone. If America wants to protect its security and create opportunities for its people, it must stand with those who have a stake in a free, open, secure, and prosperous world and stand up to those who threaten that world,” he wrote. “President Biden and Vice President Harris pursued a strategy of renewal, pairing historic investments in competitiveness at home with an intensive diplomatic campaign to revitalize partnerships abroad,” he said. “This twin-pillared strategy, they believed, was the best way to disabuse competitors of their assumptions that the United States was declining and diffident.”
Blinken also stated the war in Gaza is interconnected to Iran’s maligned behavior.
“Without an end to the war in Gaza and a time-bound, credible path to statehood that addresses the Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations and Israel’s security needs, normalization cannot move forward. But if these efforts succeed, normalization would join Israel to a regional security architecture, unlock economic opportunities across the region, and isolate Iran and its proxies,” he continued. “Glimmers of such integration were on display in the coalition of countries, including Arab states, that helped Israel defend itself against an unprecedented direct attack from Iran in April.”
The State Department referred Fox News Digital to the department’s briefing when asked for comment.
House Republicans have described Biden-Harris foreign policy as one aiming at “appeasement,” particularly towards Iran.
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“Our adversaries are carrying out increasingly dangerous attacks because of Biden and Harris’ weak and failed foreign policy,” read a joint statement from House Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Chairwoman Elise Stefanik.
“Iran is again brazenly attacking Israel with a barrage of rocket fire and an apparent coordinated terrorist attack. The world is watching as Israeli families seek safety and shelter as waves of missile attacks light up the sky,”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned in a statement released by Iranian state media that if Israel responds to the missile barrage, “it will face crushing attacks.”
Fox News’ Louis Casiano and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
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