WASHINGTON — Republicans critical of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks contend President Barack Obama is so keen for a deal that he is ignoring Iran’s moves to expand its influence across the Middle East.
Republican hawks maintain that Obama wants so much to burnish his legacy by negotiating an agreement to restrain Iran from becoming a nuclear-armed state that he is not pushing back against Iranian activities in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Bahrain.
They point to the activities of Iran, the dominant Shiite force in the Middle East, in these countries:
• Iraq: Iran-backed militias are fighting alongside Iraqi forces to retake Tikrit, a Sunni stronghold seized by Islamic State militants.
• Yemen: The Obama administration had cited Yemen as a success in the fight against terrorism. But Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, seized the capital, Sana, from a U.S.-backed leader who supported American drone strikes against suspected al-Qaeda figures.
• Syria: Iran supports Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has waged a campaign of bloodshed and starvation against his own people for years and is fighting against moderates trying to topple him.
• Lebanon: Iran’s link to Lebanon is through its decades-long support for Hezbollah, Lebanon’s Shiite militant group.
• Bahrain: Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, is led by a Sunni monarchy that has struggled to quell Shiite protests demanding greater rights and equal treatment. Leaders in Bahrain claim Iran is helping the Shiite militia.
“The Iranians are now in Sana. They’re in Baghdad and Beirut and Damascus, and meanwhile this president and secretary of state pursue the mirage of a nuclear agreement,” Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said in a recent speech.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., complained that the administration remains silent about the havoc Iran is creating.
“If I were president, I would tell the Iranians we’re not going to talk to you any more about your nuclear ambitions until you stop destabilizing the region and invading your neighbors,” said Graham, who is weighing a White House bid.
Among the Democrats countering the GOP refrain, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., says he shares the concern about Iran’s involvement but “this is not about turning Iran from an enemy into a friend. This is whether an enemy has a nuclear weapon or doesn’t. The administration is very realistic. If there is a good nuclear deal, we still have to confront the adventurism of Iran beyond its borders.”
