RIGHT SPEAK: There's No Price To Pay For Defying America

If you're going to engage in a foreign policy capitulation, might as well do it when everyone is getting tanked and otherwise occupied. Say, New Year's Eve.

Recall that in October, Iran test-fired a nuclear-capable ballistic missile in brazen violation of Security Council resolutions prohibiting such launches. President Obama did nothing.

One month later, Iran did it again. The administration made a few gestures at the U.N. Then nothing. Then finally, on Dec. 30, the White House announced a few sanctions. They were weak, aimed mostly at individuals and designed essentially for show.

Amazingly, even that proved too much. By 10 o'clock that night, the administration caved. The White House sent out an email saying sanctions were off — and the Iranian president ordered the military to expedite the missile program.

Is there any red line left? First, the Syrian chemical weapons. Then the administration insistence that there would be no nuclear deal unless Iran accounted for its past nuclear activities. (It didn't.) And unless Iran permitted inspection of its Parchin nuclear testing facility. (It was allowed self-inspection and declared itself clean.) And now, illegal ballistic missiles.

The premise of the nuclear deal was that it would constrain Iranian actions. It's had precisely the opposite effect. It has deterred us from offering even the mildest pushback to any Iranian violations lest Iran walk away and leave Obama legacy-less.

Just two weeks ago, Iran's Revolutionary Guards conducted live-fire exercises near the Strait of Hormuz. It gave nearby U.S. vessels exactly 23 seconds of warning. One rocket was launched 1,500 yards from the USS Harry S. Truman.