Hagel: Attacking Iran Still an Option

Delivers Threat 120 Miles Off Iranian Coast

Fresh off of his pledge to see the US continue its global military adventurism, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is in the Persian Gulf delivering speeches “reassuring” people of America’s continued military belligerence.

In one such speech, delivered just 120 miles off the coast of Iran, Hagel told troops aboard the USS Ponce that the Untied States had not changed its military position toward Iran and could still attack them at any time.

Hagel went on to claim the administration understands “the dangers that Iran represents,” and termed the P5+1 deal with Iran a “difficult engagement,” and one that needed to be backed by the constant threat of American attack.

After decades of building up hawkish sentiment toward Iran region-wide, the US is finding it difficult to placate allies in the Middle East about the Iran deal, and has repeatedly resorted to talking up the prospect of just ditching the diplomacy half-done and starting a war in an effort to convince those allies that the US remains just as hostile as ever.

Hagel is planning several more stops in his visit to the Gulf states, and is likely to make similar comments throughout, insisting that despite all of the very logical reasons that US foreign policy should change, it just plain won’t.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.