Enough talk: Trump is right to take action in Iran

In his almost two-hour-long State of the Union address, President Trump devoted a relatively short portion to the prospect of imminent war with Iran.  

He did not repeat the specific threats he has made, nor did he mention the massive armada of warships he ordered to the region to enforce his threats. But he did briefly describe Iran’s many depredations — its violations of international law on nuclear weapons development, sponsorship of terrorism, and the “millions” of people killed by the regime over the years, including its recent slaughter of “32,000 protesters” after he vigorously warned Teheran not to do it.  

The joint attack on Iran by the United States and Israel that followed just days later has stirred a range of reactions within the U.S. Critics of the Iran operation have tended to conflate the strategic rationale for the military campaign with the legal process by which the U.S. carried it out. Many who deplore the Iranian regime as the pariah of the Mideast and a threat to international peace and stability nevertheless condemned the operation because Trump failed to obtain prior congressional approval. 

Members of Congress, including some Republicans, urged him to follow the Constitution and seek their prior authorization. Though it would likely have resulted in largely partisan divisions, Trump almost certainly would have won Congress’s go-ahead, and America would have the advantage of presenting a united front against the extremist Islamic Republic.  

This national unity would have stood the United States in good deterrent stead against the other members of the burgeoning authoritarian axis in China, Russia and North Korea. Trump may have intimidated some with his unpredictability and inclination to use force (he should apply the same formula to his position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine). Unfortunately, he may also have legitimized Iran’s illicit behavior and surrendered part of America’s moral high ground — an unnecessary price to pay for avoiding a congressional vote he was likely to win anyway.   

The implications of regime change in Iran send a cautionary message to its authoritarian partners in crime in China and North Korea. Trump should lay down a marker now to moderate Beijing’s dangerous near-future intentions on Taiwan. Just as he has stated insistently and credibly that Iran will never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon, he should declare that China will never be permitted to acquire Taiwan by force. 

The Russian people, similarly, have soured on Vladimir Putin, as they have increasingly borne the human and economic costs of his reckless war against Ukraine. As long as Trump has such a deferential, even subservient, relationship with the Russian leader, a campaign of regime change in Moscow is highly unlikely for the duration of the Trump presidency. 

Tyrannical rulers like Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un care little about an American president’s reputation for honor or morality, except to the extent that the lack of those qualities gives them greater leverage. They are impressed only by the exercise of raw power. A successful U.S. campaign of regime change could do more to restore America’s global leadership than all the bonhomie between Trump and the world’s dictators.  

Joseph Bosco served as China country director for the secretary of Defense from 2005 to 2006 and as Asia-Pacific director of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief from 2009 to 2010. He is a nonresident fellow at the Institute for Corean-American Studies, a member of the advisory board of the Global Taiwan Institute and member of the advisory board of the Vandenberg Coalition.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

More Opinions - International News

Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome is on the rise: What symptoms to watch for

Kelly says it’s ‘unlikely’ he backs war powers vote

Poll: Talarico, Paxton hold slim edge heading into Tuesday primary

TSA moves to center of shutdown drama as jittery lawmakers offer warnings for ...

A big change is coming to Social Security that beneficiaries may not notice

GOP, Trump set for war powers confrontation with Democrats after Iran strikes

Education Department hangs banner of Charlie Kirk

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls US service members' deaths in Iran ...

Ted Cruz: ‘No indication’ that Iran was ‘close to getting nuclear ...

Congress returns to address Trump’s Iran attacks

Cuba faces ‘zero hour’ as Trump, Rubio put squeeze on regime

America’s cost-of-living crisis is entering its most brutal phase

Supreme Court hears arguments on whether government can disarm drug users 

Just a quarter of Americans back Iran strikes: Poll

Was this Trump’s last State of the Union? 

Boebert posts Bill Clinton photo from deposition

The Hill Podcasts – Morning Report

© The Hill