JERUSALEM – The White House is facing heavy criticism over President Biden’s repeated warnings to Iran. Critics argue that Tehran-backed terror militias have not been deterred by his threats, as evidenced by recent attacks. On Monday, American military personnel at the air base in western Iraq were injured by these militias. On Friday, there was another suspected attack in Syria.

On Saturday, Biden again cautioned Iran, saying “Don’t” when asked by reporters about his message to Tehran. Observers point to Biden’s inconsistent Iran policy, arguing that his warnings in October and April have not been effective.

Following the attack in Iraq on Monday, Biden, accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris, met with his national security team to discuss the situation. They addressed the threats posed by Iran and its proxies, and emphasized that the U.S. would defend its personnel and respond to attacks.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized the Biden administration, stating that they are “saying “don’t” to Iran – but then does nothing to impose costs.” He believes that this weakness has increased the risk from Iran.

On Friday, a drone strike targeted a U.S. installation in Syria, resulting in minor injuries to U.S. and coalition personnel. A full assessment of the damage is ongoing.

According to Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Iran’s escalating aggression in the Middle East is linked to the Biden administration’s inability to establish effective deterrence. He believes that Iran’s attacks on U.S. bases and forces will continue as long as the U.S. does not take decisive action.

“So long as the U.S. remains fundamentally in the business of absorbing strikes by Iran-backed militias against its basing infrastructure and regional force presence, these attacks can be expected to continue. Militia rocket and mortar and drone attacks are one way Tehran chooses to fight America on the cheap,” Ben Taleblu told Digital.

He added, “With such lopsided response ratio, at least 172 strikes  and only a handful, around 10 or so, responses, it’s no surprise that the deterrence brought about by the last time Washington meaningfully used force against these groups in early 2024 has worn off.”

Ben Taleblu further stated that deterrence is a constant process, emphasizing its importance in the Middle East today. He suggested that the recent increase in attacks by Iranian-backed militias might be part of a larger revenge strategy. However, he acknowledged that some attacks may be driven by local factors in Iraq and Syria, and that these actions are part of a broader plan to provoke a cycle of violence and force America out of the region.

Digital contacted the State Department regarding the lack of a military response to the rocket attacks on the base.

Before the latest attack in Syria, a State Department spokesperson told Digital, “The Iran-aligned militia attack on U.S. forces stationed at Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq marks a dangerous escalation and demonstrates Iran’s destabilizing role in the region. As President Biden has made clear, we will not hesitate to defend our people and hold responsible all who harm our U.S. personnel.”

Sabrina Singh, a deputy spokesperson at the Pentagon, commented on Thursday about the attack, stating that “It was two rockets launched by what we believe to be an Iranian-backed Shia militia group that impacted Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq. There was a third rocket that was intercepted before it impacted the base. In terms of how these rockets got through, look, that’s something that CENTCOM is going to review and is reviewing right now. We want to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”

According to the Pentagon spokesperson, four service members and one contractor were injured during the Monday attack. 

Joel Rubin, a former State Department official during the Obama administration, defended Biden’s policies, telling Digital, “The president has made it very clear to Iran that there would be significant consequences if it were to take military action against Israel. In addition to sending additional military craft to the region, he’s working the diplomatic channels to make sure Iran understands this, creating deterrence. While the crisis has not yet fully passed, it’s clear that Iran is thinking twice about its next moves.”

Iran’s primary proxies in the Middle East include Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas, and the Houthi movement in Yemen. Over the decades, Iran has used its oil and gas wealth to spread its revolutionary Islamist ideology across the Middle East and the West, including the U.S. U.S. intelligence revealed  that Iran is active on college campuses, has threatened to assassinate President Trump, and is interfering in U.S. elections.

The U.S. government has consistently classified Iran as the world’s worst state-sponsor of terrorism since 1984. Radical Islamists seized power in Tehran in 1979 and labeled America as the “great Satan.” Iranian Islamists also frequently chant “Death to America” at public events and in their parliament.

Digital reported in February that an Iranian manufactured drone fired by a Tehran-backed militia in Iraq .

‘ Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.