As the war against Iran has entered its third week, President Trump said Monday the U.S. has “literally obliterated” its regime.
The president also encouraged other nations to help open the Strait of Hormuz to keep exported oil flowing.
Democratic Congressman Marc Veasey of Fort Worth and Republican Congressman Roger Williams of Weatherford both said they oppose Iran’s regime. But when it comes to the war itself, only Williams supports it.
“Look, we can’t have an Iran with a nuclear weapon,” Williams said. “That’s death to Israel, death to America, and it goes on and on and on. They were getting close to being able to use one of those weapons. I think we did exactly the right thing going in there and keeping them from being able to use that.”
The president said Monday the U.S. military has achieved a “90 percent reduction in their ballistic missile launches and a 95 percent reduction in drone attacks.” CBS News reports there are plans for the U.S. to deploy as many as 5,000 additional forces to the Middle East.
Veasey told CBS News Texas that he doesn’t like how the administration is carrying out the war.
“At first, the President was like there would be no boots on the ground,” said Veasey. “Now, he won’t rule it out, boots on the ground. There doesn’t seem to be any plan. If the theocracy does topple, how are they going to be able to quell and keep down any sort of sectarian violence that may happen there in the country? There’s just no plan.”
The president had campaigned against forever wars.
When asked how the administration should balance that with finishing the job it started, Williams said, “That’s a tough decision. If you and when you make that decision, you don’t want to err on the side of our country. We want to make the right decision. What’s good for America. Frankly, what’s good for the world. These people were ready to destroy the world. I think the quicker we can get in, the quicker we get out, it’s going to be a lot better.”
According to the White House’s website, between April 1983 and June of last year, Iran and its proxies — all of them designated by the U.S. as terrorist organizations — are responsible for attacking and killing 992 Americans, most of them in the U.S. military.
Like Williams, Veasey said the regime in Iran needs to go.
“There is no member of Congress more than anyone else in this delegation of the state that would love to see the theocracy there toppled,” Veasey said. “They’ve been a nightmare to this country. They’ve been a nightmare to the Persian people and the people of Iran for the last 47 years.”
Other Democratic members of Congress from North Texas have criticized the president’s decision to bomb Iran and its regime. But Republican members of Congress from North Texas have said they support Mr. Trump’s decision and the war itself.
Watch Eye On Politics at 7:30 Sunday morning on CBS News Texas on air and streaming