EDITORIAL: Iran’s brazen attack on Israel was ‘utterly unsuccessful’

The Biden administration is again urging Israel to exercise “restraint” in the wake of Iran’s attack over the weekend. Is it any wonder that the mullahs and their terrorist proxies felt comfortable escalating the conflict?

On Saturday night, Iran fired scores of drones and missiles at Israel, supposedly in response to the nation’s attack earlier this month on an Iranian embassy compound in Syria. Israel’s defenses — bolstered by help from the United States and other Western allies — successfully repelled the aggression, knocking most missiles and drones from the sky. There were no deaths, although one young girl was seriously injured.

“I mean, look at the size and the scale, the scope of what they fired into Israel from Iran proper: more than 300 missiles and drones,” John F. Kirby, White House national security spokesman, said Sunday on “Face the Nation.” “They wanted to cause damage — no question about that. But they were utterly unsuccessful in doing so.”

This, the administration argues, amounts to a victory for Israel and highlights Iran’s limitations. True. But the White House national security team should consider how Iran came to believe it could launch such a brazen attack without repercussion.

Just a week ago, President Joe Biden publicly threatened to rethink this nation’s support for Israel’s military response to the brutal Oct. 7 terror attacks carried out by Hamas. Congressional Democrats were openly discussing whether to withhold arms and financial assistance to Israel. The unmistakable message: Hamas’ deadly strategy was paying dividends as Western nations, including the United States, were increasing pressure on Israel to stand down before it had completed its objective of destroying the terror group.

After the attacks, Mr. Biden softened his rhetoric and insisted his administration has an “ironclad commitment” to Israel’s security. He acknowledged it was up to the Jewish state to decide how to respond to the Iran provocation.

Indeed, Israel will craft its own path forward. In the meantime, Mr. Biden should stop sending mixed signals about this country’s obligation to Israel. Instead of hectoring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at every turn in an effort to gain political support from progressive sympathizers of Hamas, the president should focus on pressuring Iran and the terrorists that do its bidding.

Israel didn’t start this war. Iran and Hamas did. The latter still holds dozens of innocent civilian hostages — if they remain alive — and continues to use Palestinians as human shields in hopes of maximizing casualties to garner sympathy from useful idiots. Iran’s attempted attack makes it even more urgent for Mr. Biden to quit waffling on Israel — and for Israel to finish off Hamas in Rafah.