Beyond 'Trump’s War'

The need to lead on Iran.

A note from Garry Kasparov: In a world of oligarch-owned outlets, it’s more important than ever to support mission-driven media. You can take a stand by joining our premium subscriber community. Your support helps drive the work of the Renew Democracy Initiative, including delivering life-saving humanitarian aid for Ukraine (I don’t receive one kopek from your contributions!). Read on to the end of the article for an update on RDI’s activities on the frontlines in Ukraine.

---

Over the last week and a half, we’ve heard a lot about “Trump’s war in Iran.”

I think this is a misnomer. Yes, Trump is a big factor, and we’ll come back to him before the end of my column. But the Islamic Republic of Iran has been in a de facto war with the United States and its allies since 1979. The strikes that the US and Israel launched on the last day of February represent only the latest stage in a wider and longer war. So I’d like to frame things in a broader perspective

We—and by “we,” I mean free people who believe in liberal values—stand for freedom of speech and of the press, freedom of worship, and the ability to hold our leaders to account. We support strong institutions and the rule of law as a bulwark against a tyranny of the majority. These are the values that mobilized millions of Americans to stand with Ukraine against Iran’s close ally, Russia (and it is no coincidence that Ukrainian leaders like President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha support taking on the Iranian regime).

The government of Iran is a theocratic dictatorship that is the antithesis of liberal values. It oppresses women and minorities. The media is run by the state, and elections are a tightly-managed charade. American protesters chant “no kings.” Millions of Iranians cry out “down with the supreme leader.” Last month, regime thugs silenced tens of thousands of demonstrators.

You might read all of this and say, “that’s terrible—and it’s not our problem.” A few years ago, Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna and Republican Senator Rand Paul—who oppose confronting Iran—penned an op-ed recalling John Quincy Adams’s admonishment that the US “goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.” The quote is a favorite of American isolationists.

The thing is, John Quincy Adams died nearly 200 years ago. In his day, the American union was young and fragile, and events moved more slowly. Adams could not have envisioned an interconnected world in which dictators surveil and harass people from thousands of miles away by exploiting technology that was still generations from invention. Iran has hatched multiple terror plots on American soil, including attempts to kidnap and murder my friend Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-born US citizen and democracy activist. The Islamic Republic exports violence across the Middle East and even to Ukraine and Latin America. Meanwhile, the Barbary pirates look like amateurs compared with Iran and its Houthi friends, who can shut down parts of the global economy with some mines, missiles, and speedboats.

Our liberal values require a strong, proactive defense. Free countries must be willing to flex their muscles. They must act judiciously, but they must act.

Of course, “judiciousness” is not a word that Donald Trump knows (nor is it a concept he’s familiar with). We now have confirmation that the Trump administration declined Ukrainian offers of anti-drone technology half a year before launching its intervention in the Middle East. Russia shares intelligence with Tehran to help Iranian forces kill Americans, and Trump describes Vladimir Putin’s efforts as “helpful.” The president has not pointed to an endgame. Trump is responsible for a growing number of preventable deaths.

There is also the (il)legality of the war under the US Constitution. Trump completely sidestepped Congress, and Congress allowed itself to be sidestepped (the opposition is paralyzed and the majority is in an authoritarian coma). The legislative branch’s Article I authority on war and peace is not some formality. It is what makes the United States of America different from the Islamic Republic: Americans are not beholden to a supreme leader who can launch military adventures on a whim.

I’m not happy with the prosecution of the war in Iran so far. Still, Iran has been a vector of authoritarianism and global terror since the Carter administration. There was plenty of time for people not named Donald Trump or Benjamin Netanyahu to do something. More responsible leaders could have been pressed to take action.

Well, “coulda, shoulda, woulda.” That’s the expression, right? Past mistakes offer valuable insights. We also can’t let history hold us back.

---

ICYMI: Tune in to the latest episode of the Older/Wiser podcast:

A Federal Prosecutor on the Rule of Law

---

Last week, my Renew Democracy Initiative colleague Evan Gottesman posed some questions for Democrats on Capitol Hill. Allow me to paraphrase:

• If Democrats/Congress stop the war, what happens to the Iranian regime?

• Is there a plan to ensure that Ali Khamenei is not replaced with another dictator as Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro was?

• Can events in Iran weaken the global authoritarian alliance and strengthen frontline democracies like Ukraine?

• How do democrats (and capital “D” Democrats) deal with bad guys?

I’d like to offer some answers and a plan of action.

First, let’s address the fate of the regime. Ayatollah Khamenei’s putative successor, his son Mojtaba, was injured at the start of the war, and it’s possible he is out of commission—a figurehead for a decapitated regime. If so, the window of opportunity created by the late Khamenei’s assassination may remain open.

It follows that the worst possible outcome would be an abrupt end to US operations in Iran. Last week, it was Democrats who wanted a ceasefire. Ironically enough, it seems Trump may now want out too. Yet half measures often lead to full catastrophes. Look at the US and Europe’s failure to stop Russia in Ukraine between 2014 and 2022, or Netanyahu’s attempts to placate Hamas in Gaza prior to October 7. If the US pulls back now, a bloodied regime will remain in place—more committed to oppressing Iranians, harming Americans, and building a nuclear weapon.

Defanging and defeating the Islamic Republic would be a great boon to the democratic world. Achieving that strategic victory requires, well… strategy.

Here are the basic underpinnings of what such a plan could look like. America needs clear goals: the end of the Islamic Republic, eradication of the missile, drone, and nuclear threats, and restoration of safe maritime and air transit through the region. The US must embrace its allies. No more ignoring Ukrainian attempts to help the United States. Transparency about the resources and costs associated with this endeavor is non-negotiable. Congress has to reclaim oversight of the war. There will need to be accountability if the administration cannot achieve its objectives.

Finally, we need an articulation of Washington’s approach to defending democracy and prosperity. That vision should start along the following lines: American leadership has been a global public good. It enables freedom of navigation and has secured historically-unprecedented levels of peace. The US is a nation of laws, but those laws do not prevent America from fighting back against those who menace it. In fact, the social contract compels democratically-elected leaders to keep their constituents safe from foreign foes.

I’m not naive about Trump or his accomplices. Such a manifesto as I’ve outlined above will never come out of this White House. For now, it will have to come from Congress—and from Democrats, in particular. If they are serious about taking back power from MAGA, then the representatives of the opposition cannot merely act like a “resistance.” They must carry themselves like leaders in waiting. They can start by leading on Iran.

---

An update on the Renew Democracy Initiative’s work in Ukraine

Now, something a little more positive!

Since 2022, the Renew Democracy Initiative (publisher of The Next Move) has delivered roughly $15 million in humanitarian aid to frontline communities in Ukraine. That includes bulletproof vests, food, medical supplies, and sleeping bags, among other essentials. It won’t win the war by itself, but it keeps people warm, well-fed, and, most importantly, alive.

Renew Democracy Initiative’s latest wave of meals ready-to-eat (MREs) being assembled in Ukraine. In all, 70,000 MREs are currently on the way from RDI to feed Ukrainian soldiers and civilians in the besieged Kharkiv region.

We recently ordered 70,000 meals ready-to-eats (MREs, an acronym familiar to anyone who’s spent time around the military), mostly for the Kharkiv region. Kharkiv is located on the Russian border and is the target of relentless bombardment. The first tranche—21,504 MREs to be precise—were delivered at the end of last month. Roughly half will go to civilians, and another half for the Ukrainian soldiers bravely defending their homeland.

A thank you from our partners in Ukraine for the delivery of warm meals to Kyiv. The note in Ukrainian reads: “These soups were provided via the support of the Renew Democracy Initiative. Thank you to our international partners for their solidarity with Ukraine!”

On top of that, the Renew Democracy Initiative recently secured 31,000 warm meals for the capital city of Kyiv, where residents are enduring freezing nights and blackouts. We hope our Ukrainian friends like soup!

You can support RDI’s work by upgrading to join our premium subscriber community. RDI CEO Uriel Epshtein will also be leading a delegation to visit our partners on the ground in Ukraine later this month, so stay tuned for firsthand updates from the front here at The Next Move!

---

---

More from The Next Move:

---