Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said during an interview over the weekend that the only way to stop Iranian attacks against U.S. forces in the Middle East would be to launch a “massive retaliation” against the country.
Cotton told “Fox News Sunday” anchor Shannon Bream that under President Joe Biden, Iran and its proxies have launched approximately 150 attacks against U.S. forces in the Middle East, including at least 66 since October 17.
“We’ve only hit back a few times. When we do hit back, it’s almost always at empty proxy warehouses or maybe proxy forces in Iraq and Syria,” Cotton said. “It seems like the president wants to go out of his way to avoid Iranian casualties. I would target Iranians who are operating in Iraq and in Syria. I would also send a clear message to Iran if these attacks don’t stop immediately, then we’ll begin to threaten their assets.”
Cotton dismissed fears from weak-kneed politicians who fear escalating militarily against Iran.
“What Reagan did when he sank half of Iran’s navy, it didn’t lead to an open, outright war,” he said. “After Donald Trump directed [the] killing of Qasem Soleimani in Iraq, Iran’s terrorist mastermind, Iran pulled in its horns for the rest of Trump’s era.”
“The way to stop these attacks is not be fearful and hesitant and cautious in a response, but massive retaliation to make it clear we will not tolerate these attacks on Americans,” he added.
He said a “clear message” needed to be sent to Iran that if the threats do not stop immediately that the U.S. “will begin to threaten their assets.”
The New York Times reported that Biden has “rejected more aggressive bombing options proposed by the Pentagon” to keep U.S. forces safe because he is afraid of “provoking” Iran.
WATCH: @SenTomCotton reacts to the temporary cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. pic.twitter.com/i0hAeDw3Jt
— Fox News Sunday (@FoxNewsSunday) November 26, 2023