Mark Wallace and Mercedes Schlapp Discuss the Escalating Israel-Iran Conflict on America UnCanceled

Tensions between Israel and Iran reached a new high last week when Israel launched preemptive strikes on key Iranian targets deemed a threat to regional stability. On America UnCanceled, host Mercedes Schlapp and Mark Wallace, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), discuss the ongoing conflict and what it means for Israel and the Iranian people. 

Wallace attributed the conflict to decades of hostility driven by Iran’s fanatic Ayatollah regime. He described the regime as “a rotten core that's been hollowed out of corruption and fanaticism,” racing to develop nuclear weapons to maintain its authoritarian grip. Citing reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency and other nations, Wallace noted Iran’s efforts to conceal its nuclear development sites, underscoring the urgency of countering Iran before it acquires sufficient uranium and materials to further threaten global security.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that the United States was not involved in Israel’s strikes but affirmed America’s commitment to protecting its military bases and assets in the region. Wallace emphasized the importance of Rubio’s stance on American safety while urging stronger U.S. support for Israel against the existential threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. Schlapp highlighted former President Donald Trump’s repeated attempts to negotiate with Iran, which were not honored by Iran.

Contrasting U.S. foreign policy approaches, Wallace criticized former President Barack Obama’s unenforced “red line” against Syria and Iran, comparing it to Trump’s firm stance. Under Trump’s direction, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has established a clear policy that Iran must not possess nuclear weapons capable of threatening global security. Wallace credited Israel’s strikes with enforcing Trump’s red line, unlike Obama’s impotent parameters for the authoritarian regimes. Wallace warned Iran against further testing the patience of the U.S. and Israel.

Wallace also framed Israel’s actions as a potential catalyst for change within Iran, where the population suffers under the regime’s oppression. “The Iranian people are the victims of this regime,” he said, suggesting that Israel’s targeting of top Iranian officials could empower Iranians seeking freedom. 

CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp echoed this sentiment in a tweet Friday: “Please pray for the Iranian people who have suffered under a radical Muslim dictatorship since the 1970s. Let’s pray that an offshoot of Israel’s strikes is the further denuclearization of this once developing country and a push from the streets to knock out the mullahs.”

Schlapp noted CPAC’s fruitful partnership with UANI to support a free Iran, including an upcoming event for Iranians in Exile and a new website. Wallace confirmed that event details would be announced soon, expressing optimism about the potential for a free Iran given the regime’s weakening grip.

When asked about Trump’s strategy, Wallace praised the former president’s “Art of the Deal” approach, leveraging a maximum pressure campaign against an economically and militarily weakened Iran. He urged decisive action, now that the regime is significantly weakened, to secure a better future for both Israel and the Iranian people.