Op-Eds from Mike

Last month, I led my first congressional delegation trip as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. We traveled to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Jordan — linchpins of regional security.

The trip was intended to reinforce the United States’ enduring commitment to the region and to explore opportunities for fostering greater cooperation with our partners across a range of issues, beyond just security. Only by working together to advance our shared goals can we set the conditions to achieve true peace in the Middle East.

With Israel launching preemptive strikes on Iran to decimate their senior military leadership and nuclear program, the Iranian regime is in its weakest position yet, and the power paradigm in the Middle East is undergoing a shift. Now is the time to sit with our partners and advance cooperative dialogue.

In Israel, we reinforced our close alliance, continuing to ensure there is no daylight in this relationship. We discussed how Israel can fully utilize and strengthen its existing normalized relations with its allies, as well as how the country can take steps to normalize relations with additional countries in the Arab world in the near future, including to counter Iran’s malign activities.

In Jordan, we discussed Amman’s unique position in the region. We underscored our commitment to providing the Kingdom with the tools it needs to succeed in countering the multifaceted threats it continues to face. For over a decade, it’s been a lynchpin of the international community’s D-ISIS mission, hosting thousands of U.S. forces supporting this objective.

We also emphasized our shared commitment to the U.S.-Jordan Memorandum of Understanding to underscore our confidence in Jordan’s economy and contributions to market stability. We made clear how deeply appreciative the U.S. is of Jordan’s friendship and reaffirmed our promises to support Jordan on trade, energy, desalination, and more.

Further, much conversation throughout the trip revolved around the importance of getting humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, without interference from Hamas and other terror groups. Hamas is oppressing the Palestinian people, and it is our duty to ensure, during this war, that the Palestinian people receive the aid rightfully sent to them. Reinforcing the U.S. position here is vital toward bolstering our relations and Israel’s relations in the region.

Strengthening these three relationships and investing in each country’s long-term stability is key to enhancing U.S. objectives in the region. And something we can all agree on: Iran is the real roadblock to Middle East peace.

Isolation of Iran and a future without Iranian funding of terrorism and enhanced nuclear capacity is key.

The Iranian regime stands against our values and actively seeks to kill U.S. citizens and destroy our way of life. We cannot let them.

However, when we confront the Iranian threat, we must ensure we do so with our partners in the Middle East. No one should go alone, or it will be bad news for everyone except the terrorists.

The opportunities ahead are vast, and our vision of a better life, free from constant Iranian threats, is within our grasp.

My trip taught me that folks still want to work with the U.S. and the strength of the U.S. dollar more than anything. Once the hostages are all returned home and Hamas is decimated alongside Iranian influence, we can fully start to move forward on the path toward peace and prosperity.

One year ago, it seemed as if Syria, led by Bashar al Assad’s aggressive regime, was an unfortunate hindrance to peace efforts. Today, the story is different, and it’s clear the Administration has strong expectations for the interim authority. They are focusing on some goals we share, such as combating ISIS and rebuilding the country absent the Assad dictatorship.

The increasing prevalence of friendly governments to the U.S., as well as the greater role of economic cooperation and investment, is a positive development in the Middle East. Although culturally different, if we focus on alignment, we can accomplish a great deal more.

Lastly, Iran must understand that there will be grave consequences for any actions they take in response to this justified attack. The United States will not hesitate to defend our ally Israel, our other partners in the region, and our military and diplomatic personnel.

I look forward to leading the Subcommittee during this volatile yet promising time, and reporting back to chart the most beneficial course forward for all.

Rep. Mike Lawler represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He serves as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.

https://www.lohud.com/story/opinion/2025/06/16/israel-iran-attacks-nuclear-us-cooperation/84185726007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z116347p000750c000750e009700v116347b00xxxxd11xx65&gca-ft=137&gca-ds=sophi