Republicans strongly criticized President Joe Biden after the U.S. military reported the deaths of three American troops and injuries to 25 others in a drone attack in Jordan on Sunday.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) issued a statement blaming Biden for emboldening Iran over the years by tolerating attacks on U.S. troops, providing billions of dollars to the ayatollahs, and continuously appeasing them. Cotton expressed sorrow over the predicted outcome and extended condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers, wishing a swift and complete recovery to the injured.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) declared the failure of the Biden administration’s deterrence policy against Iran, citing over 100 attacks on U.S. forces in the region and expressing condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers in Jordan. Graham called for retaliation, urging strikes on significant targets inside Iran both as a reprisal and as a deterrent against future aggression.
U.S. Central Command announced the casualties from the drone attack on a military base in northeast Jordan, near the Syria border. Iran-proxy forces had been targeting U.S. troops since a terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7.
Both Cotton and Graham, being military veterans, advocated for strong retaliation. Graham specifically called for striking targets of significance inside Iran, emphasizing that force is the only language the Iranian regime understands. Cotton echoed the sentiment, calling for devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces across the Middle East.
Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) also joined the call for retaliation, bluntly stating “Target Tehran.”
Representative Mike Waltz characterized the incident as tragic and preventable, attributing it to Biden’s appeasement strategy towards Iran.
The Republicans, including Cotton, Graham, Cornyn, and Waltz, criticized Biden’s approach and called for decisive military action against Iran in response to the attack.