A majority of Republican polls Sunday urged President Biden to retaliate against Iran after three US service members were killed and 34 others wounded in an attack by Iran-backed militants in Jordan.
“Beat Iran now. Hit them hard,” wrote Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), known for his hawkish views, on X.
“When the Biden Administration says ‘don’t’, the Iranians ‘do’. The rhetoric of the Biden Administration is not being heard in Iran,” Graham said.
“Iran is not giving up,” he said. “The only thing the Iranian regime understands is violence. Until they pay the price with their infrastructure and personnel, attacks on US forces will continue.”
The White House confirmed Sunday that the deadly attack took place on Saturday afternoon and was the result of a drone strike from “radical Iranian-backed militant groups” in the region.
A majority of Republicans offered their condolences to the families of the victims of the most high-profile loss of a US soldier killed in action by a foreign enemy since the 2021 Kabul airport bombing, according to the Defense Emergency Analysis System.
Then-President Donald Trump ordered the strike that killed top Iranian military officer Qasem Soleimani in 2020 after several strikes from Iran. AFP via Getty Images
They also used Saturday’s deadly attack to highlight what they called Biden’s failed policies in the Middle East.
In the weeks since Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7, Iran-backed proxies — such as the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon and militia groups in Iraq, as well as Syria — have opened fire near US or allied assets and troops stationed in the region.
“The Biden administration’s failed Middle East policy has destroyed our deterrence against adversaries in the Middle East,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said in a statement.
“We need a major reset of our Middle East policy to protect our national security interests and restore deterrence.”
Former President and current presidential candidate Donald Trump — who ordered the strike that killed Iran’s top military officer, Qasem Soleimani, in 2020 after several strikes from Iran — also joined the chorus.
The Biden administration can remove all the Iranian proxies they like, but it won’t stop Iranian aggression. I call on the Biden Administration to strike key targets inside Iran, not only in retaliation for the killing of our troops, but as a deterrent against…
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 28, 2024
Arkansas GOP Sen. Tom Cotton said he warned that something like this would happen. CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images
“The drone strike on a US Military Installation in Jordan, killing 3 American service members, and injuring many more, marked a terrible day for America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.
“This brazen attack on the United States is yet another horrific and tragic consequence of Joe Biden’s weakness and capitulation,” he wrote.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) highlighted a deal the Biden administration cut with Iran to issue a waiver for sanctions on $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets in exchange for the release of five American detainees last year.
White House officials at the time insisted it was only giving Iran access to its oil that had been stored in South Korea and planned to ensure it would only be used for humanitarian purposes.
Iran’s terrorist proxies have crossed a red line with reports of killing 3 brave US service members and wounding dozens more.
This attack, and the 150+ attacks our forces have endured in recent months, shows the dangers of the Biden administration’s appeasement of…
— Senator Dan Sullivan (@SenDanSullivan) January 28, 2024
Shortly after last year’s bloody Hamas attack, the Treasury Department reportedly assured Congress behind closed doors that the $6 billion “isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
“Joe Biden emboldened Iran for years by tolerating attacks on our military, bribing the ayatollahs with billions of dollars, and placating them endlessly. He left our military as a sitting duck,” Cotton said in a statement.
“The only response to this attack must be a devastating military response against Iranian terrorist forces, in Iran and throughout the Middle East. Anything less will confirm Joe Biden as a coward unfit to be commander in chief. “
Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) posted on X, “The President must order a clear, lethal and extraordinary response that shows Iran and the world that anyone who targets our men and women in uniform—or supports this attack—will face the full force of the US military.”
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Ga.) said, “We are saddened by the loss of three American heroes in Jordan last night, and we pray for their families and for the 25 other service members who have been injured.
“America must send a clear message around the world that attacks on our military will not be tolerated.”
We are saddened by the loss of three American heroes in Jordan last night, and we pray for their families and for the 25 other service members who have been injured.
America must send a clear message around the world that an attack on our military will not…
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) January 28, 2024
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said, “Target Tehran” — before explaining that he wants the administration to go after the “IRGC [the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and [their] Quds Force terrorist facilitator.”
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) wrote, “I am deeply saddened to learn of the deaths of three American soldiers in Jordan. May their memories be a blessing.
“This should not happen. Biden’s appeasement strategy on Iran & its proxies IS NOT WORKING. Peace through strength ensures a safer world for all,” added Donalds.
I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of three American soldiers in Jordan. May their memories be a blessing.
This should not happen.
Biden’s appeasement strategy on Iran & its proxies IS NOT WORKING.
Peace through strength ensures a safer world for all. pic.twitter.com/EK7cg1mNFn
— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) January 28, 2024
Three US service members were killed in a drone strike Saturday night in northeastern Jordan. AP The attack took place near the Syrian border. Google world
Biden also offered his condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the attack, which took place near Jordan’s border with Syria at an outpost, known as Tower 22, which was meant to support the Al-Tanf base. He stressed that officials are still gathering facts about the deadly strike.
US troops have been deployed in Al-Tanf to help combat extremist activity in the region. Since the war broke out in Israel, US troops in Al-Tanf have suffered a series of attacks.
Before Saturday’s drone strike, the Pentagon had reported 158 attacks on US and allied forces in the region.
The identities of those killed Saturday will not be released until their families have been notified, according to US military officials.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
