TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – Regional and state lawmakers issued statements Saturday after the U.S. and Israel launched a major attack on Iran, marking the second time in eight months the Trump administration has attacked Iran\u2019s government.<\/p>\n
U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Tyler, said he supported the actions<\/a> to confront Iran.<\/p>\n \u201cI support the decisive actions taken by the United States military, in coordination with Israel (and now supported by many countries in the Middle East region), to confront the Iranian regime\u2019s escalating aggression and continued pursuit of nuclear capability,\u201d he said in a statement posted to the congressman\u2019s social media accounts. <\/p>\n \u201cIran remains the world\u2019s leading state sponsor of terrorism and a major threat to the U.S.\u2014funding proxy militias, threatening our allies, and pursuing nuclear capabilities while openly chanting \u201cDeath to America.<\/p>\n \u201cThe build up of its power on terror and nuclear threats cannot be allowed to define the future of the region, nor put American national security at risk. I look forward to an in-depth brief from the Administration in the coming days, and increased Congressional involvement now that military action has begun. <\/p>\n \u201cIn the meantime, we pray for the safety and security of our troops who are currently engaged; for an overwhelming and expeditious victory; for the Iranian people who now have a chance to choose freedom and build their own future; and for the protection of innocent lives throughout the region.\u201d<\/p>\n U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas):<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cUnder President Trump\u2019s leadership, the United States is systematically acting against American enemies who have undermined our national security since the Cold War. As the President said again this morning, the Iranian regime has been terrorizing and murdering Americans for 47 years, including innocent civilians, our servicemembers, and American leaders. The Ayatollah has repeatedly tried to assassinate President Trump. Now they are seeking nuclear weapons and the ability to hit the American homeland.<\/p>\n \u201cToday\u2019s action will enhance the national security of the United States and our allies. I applaud our Armed Forces, our intelligence community, and President Trump for their capabilities and resolve to eliminate these threats, and I am deeply appreciative that our Israeli allies are fighting alongside the U.S. on behalf of our mutual interests and against our mutual enemies. May God protect our servicemembers.\u201d<\/p>\n U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas):<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cFor too long, Iran and its tentacles of terror have destabilized the Middle East and waged war on the West and our values. With today\u2019s strikes by U.S. forces led by our Commander-in-Chief, President Trump, there is finally an opening for these dark days to come to an end. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is my hope that the Iranian people, after years of oppression and being ignored by previous Democrat administrations, will finally be free, and I\u2019m proud of the support being provided by President Trump and the United States.<\/p>\n \u201cMay God bless the men and women of our armed forces, our military partners, and all those who stand with us in our mission against the purveyor of terrorism and radical Islam that is the Islamic Republic of Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n U.S. Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Frisco):<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOperation Epic Fury, in coordination with our allies, is a United States national security imperative.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Iranian regime, for nearly five decades, has proven in no uncertain terms to be a force for evil and instability in the world. Iran\u2019s IRGC, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, has repeatedly targeted President Trump in thwarted assassination plots, including directives in 2024 to surveil and plan his killing as revenge for the 2020 U.S. strike on Qasem Soleimani. These efforts extended to Trump administration leaders as well as U.S. soldiers. The Ayatollah\u2019s regime has also pursued murder-for-hire schemes and surveillance against American citizens, including Iranian-American dissidents and others critical of Tehran, all on U.S. soil.<\/p>\n \u201cThe display of U.S. hard power we are seeing today constitutes justice for the victims of the Iranian regime\u2019s cruelty, as well as for the Iranian people who have suffered under decades of repression.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Iranian regime\u2019s capacity to sow chaos, death, and destruction must be eliminated once and for all.<\/p>\n \u201cWe pray for the safety of our brave men and women in uniform.\u201d<\/p>\n