Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday, the same day Iran directly attacked Israel with hundreds of ballistic missiles, published an op-ed touting the Biden-Harris administration's foreign policy record, marking a significant departure from former President Trump. He said that he had made a serious deviation.
Iran fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israeli targets on Tuesday night local time, in what the administration called a “serious escalation by Iran.” The indiscriminate rocket fire was part of the Shi'ite regime's response to Israel's assassination of nearly all of Hezbollah's senior leaders, including its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Hours before the Iran attack, Blinken's op-ed touted how the post-Trump Biden-Harris “renewal” strategy was working to strengthen U.S. interests abroad.
“The Biden administration's strategy puts the United States in a much stronger geopolitical position today than it was four years ago,” Blinken said.
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Iranian Blinken missile (Getty Images)
Blinken said his administration prioritized international cooperation and avoided making decisions abroad in isolation.
“From day one, President Biden and Vice President Harris made a fundamental choice: America cannot survive alone in a more competitive and flammable world. We want America to protect our security and create opportunity for our people. “The United States must stand with those who have a stake in a free, open, secure, and prosperous world and who stand up to those who threaten it,” he wrote. “President Biden and Vice President Harris pursued a renewal strategy that combines historic investments in competitiveness at home with an intensive diplomatic campaign to revitalize partnerships abroad,” he said. Ta. “They believed this two-pronged strategy was the best way to shatter competitors' assumptions that the United States was in decline and lacking confidence.”
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts a rocket, seen from Ashkelon, Israel, October 1, 2024. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)
Blinken also said the war in Gaza is interconnected with Iran's malign actions.
“Normalization cannot move forward without an end to the Gaza war and a time-bound and credible path to state-building that meets Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations and Israel’s security needs. “Normalization would then link Israel to regional security, strengthen architecture, unlock economic opportunities across the region, and isolate Iran and its proxies,” he continued. “Glimpses of such integration were emerging in a coalition of nations, including Arab states, that helped defend Israel from an unprecedented direct attack from Iran in April.”
The State Department referred Fox News Digital to a department official. Briefing session when asked for comment.
House Republicans have described the Biden-Harris foreign policy as one aimed at “appeasement”, particularly towards Iran.
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A joint statement from House Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Leader Tom Emmer, and House Speaker Elise Stefanik said, “Because of the weak and failed foreign policy of Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris, we 's adversaries are carrying out increasingly dangerous attacks.”
Rockets fly through the sky during cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, as seen from Tel Aviv, Israel, October 1, 2024. (Reuters/Ammar Awad)
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“Iran is brazenly attacking Israel again with a barrage of rockets and an apparently coordinated terrorist attack. As waves of missile attacks light up the skies, Israeli families seek safety and shelter. The world is watching.”
Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned in a statement published by Iranian state media that Israel “will face a devastating attack” if it responds to the missile attack.
Fox News' Louis Casiano and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
