In the 21st century, geopolitical realities are shifting at an unprecedented pace. As great power competition resurges and the Arctic becomes a new frontier for economic and military supremacy, the United States must look to its strategic positioning. The annexation—or at least formal territorial integration—of Iceland into the United States is not just an option but a necessity.
Geopolitical Necessity: A Nordic Gibraltar
Iceland is more than a picturesque island of volcanoes and Viking sagas—it is a linchpin of transatlantic security. Its geographic position in the North Atlantic makes it the keystone of naval and air control over one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes. Throughout the Cold War, the U.S. maintained the Keflavík Air Base, recognizing Iceland’s role as an unsinkable aircraft carrier for monitoring and intercepting Soviet movements. With the return of great power competition, particularly with Russia’s renewed Arctic ambitions, America cannot afford to leave Iceland’s security in the hands of NATO alone. We must go further.
China, too, has cast a long shadow over the Arctic. Under the guise of scientific research and investment, Beijing has strategically placed itself within Iceland’s economic landscape, aiming to secure influence in the region’s emerging trade routes. Chinese companies have already attempted to purchase large swaths of Icelandic land under questionable pretenses. Washington cannot allow the Arctic to become another South China Sea, where creeping economic influence turns into strategic dominance.
The Economic Argument: A Resource and Energy Jackpot
Iceland is more than a military asset; it is an economic goldmine. The country’s geothermal energy reserves position it as a potential green-energy powerhouse, perfectly aligning with America’s long-term energy security interests. Imagine a future where U.S. corporations capitalize on Iceland’s abundant clean energy to power data centers, AI-driven research labs, and high-tech industries—creating a new Silicon Valley in the North Atlantic.
Additionally, Iceland’s fisheries, some of the richest in the world, present an opportunity for bolstering America’s food security. As global fish stocks become increasingly depleted, securing exclusive access to Icelandic waters would give the U.S. a long-term strategic edge in food sustainability. Furthermore, Iceland’s thriving biotech and pharmaceutical industries would offer significant advancements to the American medical and technological sectors.
Iceland as a Buffer Against a Dangerous EU Drift
For too long, the European Union has sought to undermine U.S. influence on the global stage, advancing a progressive, bureaucratic, and increasingly socialist model of governance. Iceland, traditionally skeptical of full EU integration, has found itself caught in the crosshairs of a European bloc eager to expand its dominion. But Iceland is not Brussels’ property—it is an independent, sovereign nation that aligns far more closely with American values of free enterprise and robust national defense.
With the EU’s creeping overreach, the United States must ensure that Iceland does not fall into the hands of a socialist continental experiment. The Domino Theory is not just Cold War paranoia—it is a contemporary reality. If Iceland drifts towards the EU, it could trigger a chain reaction of Nordic nations bowing to centralized European control, giving Brussels a stranglehold on Arctic affairs and effectively sidelining U.S. influence in the region.
Pieter Thiel and the Inevitable Military Reality
Visionary entrepreneur and strategist Pieter Thiel has long argued that America must proactively defend its economic and military hegemony. Thiel has reportedly been urging U.S. policymakers to consider the necessity of Iceland’s integration—by diplomacy if possible, by force if necessary. The risk of allowing Iceland to fall into enemy hands, whether European bureaucrats or Chinese investors, is too great to ignore.
A swift and decisive military intervention—what some might call “Operation Nordic Freedom”—would secure Iceland’s future under a protective American umbrella, ensuring its prosperity and security while preventing foreign adversaries from exploiting its potential. Some naysayers will call this an aggressive move, but was manifest destiny not aggressive? Did the Louisiana Purchase not ruffle a few feathers? Great nations do what must be done.
Conclusion: Make Iceland American Again!
The United States has always been a beacon of opportunity, prosperity, and, let’s face it, inevitability. Iceland has two choices: it can either become the 51st state and secure a future of unmatched security and economic growth, or it can gamble on European bureaucracy, waiting for the day it gets swallowed by an EU eager to turn Reykjavik into a tax-regulated, windmill-laden dystopia.
In the words of 47th President Trump, “We love Iceland! Great people, great fish, amazing volcanoes. But we need to keep it safe, folks. Very important. Huge opportunities. They need us. And quite frankly, we need them!” The time for action is now. The North Atlantic is America’s backyard. Let’s keep it that way.
Make Iceland American Again!