Trump’s attack on Iran has Putin-Xi axis of evil reeling

Notwithstanding predictable partisan hand wringing on Capitol Hill over the war in Iran, the conflict has sent the Russia-China axis reeling. 

The toppling of Nicolás Maduro in January was just the start of a much broader plan. Trump’s pressure on Cuba is the second salvo. But Iran has now become the main effort.

In just two months, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have helplessly watched as three of their prized allies are being overwhelmed by U.S. military power.

Putin and Xi have argued that we now live in a multi-polar world. And that may be the case when measured in economic terms. But this year’s events are showing that this is still very much a U.S. hegemonic world when it comes to military power.

Offense is often the best defense.

For 47 years, of the Islamic Republic of Iran has shouted, “Death to America,” and it has killed 1,600-plus Americans. Trump has finally decided it’s time for the mullahs to find out. He has shelved the endless diplomacy and set aside the strategic deterrence policy that had not stopped Americans from dying at the hands of the Iranians.

This is why observers like the former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul miss the point when they argue that “there was no imminent threat of our homeland being attacked by Iran.” The threat, especially to our citizens and troops, has been imminent since Nov. 4, 1979, when the Islamic Republic of Iran detained more than 50 American diplomats and held them as hostages for 444 days.

For those U.S. soldiers in harm’s way, Iran’s threat to America was not........

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