Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz bluntly laid out the case for President Donald Trump’s attack on Iran, describing the regime as the leading global state sponsor of terrorism.
Appearing on Fox News, Cruz laid out a staggering indictment of Tehran’s financial reach, noting that for 47 years, the radical Islamist leadership has been the “number one state funder of terrorism worldwide.”
Cruz praised what he called the military’s “clear-eyed” strategy, saying the strikes targeted Iranian missile capacities and anti-aircraft defenses. He characterized President Trump’s decision to authorize the strikes — including the elimination of top military leadership — as the “most consequential” of his presidency because, in Cruz’s view, Tehran “posed a significant danger to the United States.”
He noted that prior to the intervention, the Iranian regime was churning out 100 missiles a month and maintaining a clandestine nuclear weapons program.
.@SenTedCruz: "The reason @POTUS made the decision to go in and take out the Ayatollah, take out the military leadership… is because they posed a significant danger to the United States." pic.twitter.com/GP45feoMoM
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 2, 2026
Cruz argued that Tehran’s influence stretches across nearly every major flashpoint in the region, pointing to longstanding U.S. assessments of Iranian funding for proxy groups:
- Hamas: Receives an estimated 90% to 93% of its military budget from Tehran. Reports indicate this surged to $350 million annually by early 2026.
- Hezbollah: Iran funnels between $700 million and $800 million a year to the Lebanese group.
- The Houthis: Annual aid is estimated at up to $300 million, providing the “bang-for-buck” investment that fuels Yemen’s instability.
Cruz noted that the Iranian regime bears responsibility for the deaths of nearly 1,000 Americans, referencing U.S. military casualties linked to Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.
He also asserted that, before last year’s U.S. strike, Iran operated “a major underground nuclear weapons facility,” which he said Trump took out.
While the IRGC’s official budget is estimated at roughly $8.2 billion, experts say it likely controls billions more through illicit enterprises and “off-the-books” oil sales.
This massive expenditure comes at a time when the Iranian economy — one-fiftieth the size of the U.S. economy — is cratering under inflation and unemployment.
As the United States maintains its posture of “robust military deterrence,” Cruz argued the goal remains simple: forcing the regime to choose between domestic stability and its global terror franchise.
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