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Arkansas congressional delegation reacts to U.S. - Iran conflict

1/8/2020
ABC 7 On Your Side

WASHINGTON D.C. — Arkansas politicians in Washington D.C. spoke on the tensions between the U.S. and Iran in light of President Trump's address to seemingly deescalate military conflict.

President Trump authorized the killing of Iranian general Quassem Soleimani, which led to retaliation from Iran to attack two military bases in Iraq housing American troops. No casualties resulted from the Iran missile strikes.

Sen. Tom Cotton released this statement: “As I’ve said all along, if Iran wants to start a fight, the United States will end it. I suspect that Iran’s weak attacks on sand dunes at two of our bases in Iraq are a signal that the fight ended when we killed Qassem Soleimani, and that the mullahs are running scared. A leopard can’t change its spots, and Tehran won’t change course overnight. They’ll continue using proxies to fight their battles. But they can’t hide—we know who their proxies are, and the United States will remain vigilant in the defense of our citizens and allies in the region.”

Rep. Bruce Westerman said: "President Trump’s decisive actions show that adversaries seeking to harm U.S. lives will pay a high price. After multiple attempts to avoid escalating the situation, President Trump drew a red line and made it clear that if the Iranian regime harmed American citizens, the United States would act. When Iranian proxies killed an American contractor, harmed multiple American servicemen and stormed the American embassy in Baghdad, the U.S. used credible intelligence to demonstrate what happens when you overstep our boundaries. Iran responded by firing rockets into two coalition bases in Iraq, but thanks to our military intelligence and reliance on allies, no lives were lost in last night’s attacks. America and our military are not to be tested.”

Rep. French Hill stated: “Over the past few months, in the face of greater and more violent Iranian attacks orchestrated by General Soleimani against the United States and our allies, President Trump has been very restrained. This morning, President Trump reiterated that the United States does not seek to start a war with Iran, and his recent actions have sent an unambiguous signal to Tehran and their proxies that if they harm America, there will be a high price to pay. The Iranian regime has been crippled by strategic economic sanctions and there are some indications that they do not seek further escalation following the death of General Soleimani. I support the decision to continue our policy of maximum pressure by introducing new sanctions on the Iranian regime and calling on our international allies in NATO to step up and take a larger role in the Middle East.”

Rep. Steve Womack released a statement: “President Trump has put this issue back in the hands of Iran: embrace peace or realize the consequences of being a rogue regime. While past administrations have shied away from confronting threats, the President has used a strategy of maximum pressure to address destabilizing behavior. Bad actors will be held accountable, and hostility will be met with measured action. By reasserting deterrence and eliminating the resources this state sponsor of terrorism relies on, we will deter aggression and create a more stable global community. I support additional sanctions and continued efforts to counter all Iranian threats.”