Who remembers the speech George W. Bush made during the early days of his presidency, promising to eradicate the 'axis of evil'? This axis consisted of Iraq, Iran and North Korea. Mr. Bush's administration succeeded in toppling Saddam Hussein in 2003 and thereby eliminated one country from that former axis. Yet due to the controversy the invasion caused, the former president was stopped in his tracks.
During the Obama years, there was little noise from him about North Korea. But he also negotiated the Iranian Agreement in 2015, which only delayed, rather than prohibited, Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
During his campaign trail to the White House, Donald Trump consistently slammed the Iranian Agreement, and it is understandable why.
'Iran remains a serious obstacle to peace.'
Iran remains a serious obstacle to peace in the Middle East. Once a powerful ally of America's, the 1979 Revolution dramatically altered the political balance of power in this part of the world. The current regime has declared its intentions to destroy Israel. They continue to influence events in Iraq and Yemen. And despite pledging their support for the Obama deal in 2015, it is no secret they still want nuclear weapons.
In more recent developments, President Trump has warned Tehran that there will be 'new and serious consequences' unless all unjustly imprisoned U.S.
citizens are released. What could this statement possibly mean? As the President's tough words and actions against Iran are buried by the 'spicy' scandal of Trump's former press secretary resigning, more light deserves to be shed on his persistent efforts against the Iranians.
The two citizens the U.S. president wants to be returned home are Robert Levinson, an American former law enforcement officer who disappeared more than 10 years ago, and businessman Simak Namazi, 46, and his father, Baquer, 80.
Mr. Levinson disappeared in 2007. Mr. Namazi and his father were sentenced for spying on an Iranian provincial governor.
'Iran, like North Korea, has been a menace.'
On Tuesday, Washington imposed fresh economic sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile program. The problem with the mainstream media, though, is that they fail to report on these positive moves the president is making in international relations, or it fails to make headline news.
Iran, like North Korea, has been a menace to global peace for too long, and it is refreshing to witness an American president finally taking action against these two rogue states.
This is why President Trump's foreign policy is merely a continuation of George W. Bush's in many respects. Yet the latter was adamant that conflict was the answer to removing these tyrannical regimes from the 'axis of evil.' Washington is attempting to persuade Russia and China to support its proposals regarding fresh sanctions against North Korea, which could topple their dictatorship without the need for war. And with the current president imposing harsher sanctions on Iran than his predecessor did, if President Trump can exterminate these two rogue states without the need for war, he will go down as one of the most successful presidents in recent history.
