Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, has expressed his belief that the Biden administration needs to adopt a more stringent stance towards Iran, advocating for a "massive retaliation" to cease attacks on American assets.
"Since Joe Biden took office, Iran has attacked American positions in the Middle East I think now over 150 times," Cotton declared during an interview on "Fox News Sunday."
Cotton, a member of both the Senate Armed Services and Senate Intelligence Committees, criticized the U.S. response, stating that retaliation has been minimal and not directed at the targets he would have chosen if he were in command. He proposed targeting Iranians operating in Iraq and Syria.
"I would also send a clear message to Iran if these attacks don't stop immediately, then we will begin to threaten their assets," Cotton warned, alluding to President Ronald Reagan's decisive action against Iran's navy following an attack on a U.S. Navy ship.
Cotton expressed his concern that President Biden is overly cautious to avoid Iranian casualties and lacks the necessary "escalation dominance over a terrorist-supporting regime like Iran."
In contrast, Representative Jake Auchincloss, a Democrat from Massachusetts, defended the Biden administration's approach towards Iran later in the program.
"They have rolled out almost 50 new sets of sanctions that have helped lead to almost 50% inflation in the Iranian economy. Iran is desperate right now," Auchincloss argued.
Auchincloss further suggested that Iran fears political isolation more than military or economic action, citing the Abraham Accords as a key factor. This declaration, signed by Israel and several Arab nations three years ago, normalized diplomatic relations and has led to significant investment and growth in the region.
"This landmark agreement normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, then later a renewal in ties with Morocco. The Abraham Accords are a game changer in the Middle East, providing new opportunities for direct flights, people-to-people exchanges, business partnerships, and government agreements that have all led to investment and growth in the area," the American Jewish Committee website states.
Auchincloss, who served in Afghanistan in 2012, warned against following the Republican Party's aggressive approach in the Middle East, stating, "If we were to follow the Republican Party's warpath in the Middle East, where we would end up with is yet another failed forever war in that region."
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