Biden Defends His Foreign Policy Record; 'Iran is Weaker than in Previous Decades'

The President of the United States defended his administration's foreign policy record, stating that America's enemies are weaker than they were four years ago when he took office. On Monday evening, January 13, Biden stated that over the past four years, Iran and Russia have been weakened, the United States is 'winning in the global competition,' and China will not surpass the U.S. economically. He also asked, 'Did you ever think we would be in this position regarding Iran?' The U.S. President pointed to the severe blow dealt to Hezbollah and the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, saying, 'Overall, Iran is weaker than in previous decades.' In his unprecedented speech at the U.S. State Department, Biden added, 'Iran's air defense is now in disarray.' In response to Iran's attacks on Israel, Israel launched strikes on Iranian positions in various regions on April 20 and November 26. According to Israeli officials and some other countries' officials, during the early morning attacks on November 26, Iran's air defense infrastructure was severely damaged, including the destruction of S-300 systems. Netanyahu stated, 'We destroyed part of Iran's nuclear program and S-300 defenses.' Biden also emphasized that during Iran's missile attacks on Israel, his administration organized a coalition of countries to counter these attacks and 'ordered American planes to defend Israel.' The U.S. President noted that he is not responsible for every factor that has weakened Russia and Iran's position in Syria, stating they have caused themselves significant harm. He added, 'Israel has inflicted significant damage on Iran and its proxy forces, but there is no doubt our actions have played an important role.' Biden, who will hand over the White House to Donald Trump next week, urged the next administration to continue the commitment that 'the U.S. will never allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.' The U.S. President called for continued support for Ukraine and mentioned that 'we are on the verge of an agreement' regarding the Gaza war. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also briefly emphasized the importance of engaging with the world and America's leadership power before Biden's speech. According to Reuters, during Biden's speech, a group of protesters gathered near the U.S. State Department, chanting 'war criminal' against him. The current crisis began after the extremist group Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking nearly 250 hostage. In response, Israel launched military operations across the Gaza Strip, which, according to officials under Hamas, has so far resulted in over 46,000 deaths.