Opinion

Obama bombs on Iran

Secretary of State John Kerry hurried to Geneva Friday after word that Iran and US-led world powers were on the verge of a nuclear-weapons accord.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describes it as “the deal of the century” for Tehran. That’s because it would ease sanctions for six months in return for Iran suspending elements of its nuclear program while retaining its infrastructure and the capability to make weapons.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because it resembles the deal Jimmy Carter reached with North Korea in 1994 — an agreement Pyongyang later admitted it started violating on Day One.

Netanyahu isn’t the only one troubled by the Obama administration’s backtracking from its tough rhetorical line on Iranian nukes: The BBC reports that Saudi Arabia has made a deal to obtain nuclear weapons from Pakistan. Granted, the Saudis have long been worried about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but this development highlights what happens when people start doubting American resolve.

Both the Israelis and the Saudis have looked to Washington to hold the line against Iran’s WMD program, as President Obama had repeatedly promised. Now, all signs suggest the president is clutching at diplomatic straws.

It’s very much like what happened in Syria: After leading from behind, the president drew his famous red line — only to retreat once that line was crossed. Across the Middle East, no one could fail to note the obvious: The deal with Bashar al-Assad left the dictator more secure after he’d used chemical weapons than before.

We have long argued that the world is a much more dangerous place when people perceive that America is weak. We don’t relish the idea of a nuclear weapon in the hands of the Saudis. But we can hardly blame them for reading the real message of a US accommodation that lets Iran off the hook: It’s every man for himself.