National Defense Strategy Prioritizes America First, Leader Says

The U.S. will prioritize theaters with the greatest consequence for American interests and where only American power can play a decisive role, said Daniel Zimmerman, assistant secretary of war for international security affairs, who spoke today during a hearing in Washington before the House Armed Services Committee regarding the military’s policies, programs and activities in the Middle East and Africa.

In the Middle East, allies and partners must take the lead in responsibility for their own security, Zimmerman said.

In Africa, the U.S. is transitioning from an aid-focused relationship to a trade- and investment-focused one, favoring partnerships with capable, reliable states intent on achieving common interests, he said.

The War Department will prioritize taking direct action against Islamic terrorists in Africa who are both capable of and intent on striking the U.S. homeland, while empowering African partners to destroy terrorist organizations throughout the continent, he said.

Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, said his command was created in direct response to the threats posed by Iran.

Since 1979, the Iranian regime has terrorized the region and made hostility to the United States a core tenet of its rule. The regime is an even more deadly threat to its own people, killing tens of thousands of innocent Iranians during protests, he said.

“Iran has long had three pillars of intimidation and coercion: their nuclear program, their ballistic missiles and drones, and their proxies — especially Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis,” Cooper said.

All signs pointed to Iran’s intent to create a nuclear weapon and then to protect their nuclear program with ballistic missiles and drones, the admiral said.

“They did it for two reasons: to create a shield to make their nuclear site untouchable and to create an offensive capability so large that regional partners couldn’t possibly defend against it,” he said.

Air Force Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, commander of U.S. Africa Command, said his command is prioritizing willing and capable partners.

The department supports partners with unique capabilities that only the U.S. can provide, he said, such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance targeting and precision strikes.

In Africa, China is working to control critical minerals and infrastructure, and Russia is exploiting instability to extract resources to fuel its war machine, Anderson said.

To contend with these threats, Africom continues to pursue low-cost, high-yield activities to amplify the department’s impact on the continent, he said.