Newou can listen to Fox News articles!
First Fox: Senate Majority Leader John Tune, Rs.D. , although he does not imagine or want the US military to be directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran, it depends on whether the Islamic Republic has re-joined the negotiation table.
“This is all about dismantling Iran’s nuclear program,” Thune told Fox News Digital from his office at Capitol. “And that could happen in one of two ways. It could happen diplomatically – voluntarily – or by force.”
“Another Infinite Conflict”: Democrats resonate Trump’s anti-war stance as tensions in the Middle East escalate
Senate majority leader John Tune, Rs.D. , Center (AP Photo/J. Scott Apple White)
Thune’s comments spark Capitol Hill’s questions and concerns among lawmakers about whether the US will play a bigger and more direct role in the fast-growing conflict in the Middle East. There is a positive conversation among the senators about what role Congress should play, whether to push the United States into armed conflict or whether to transfer that power to the president.
“The Israelis may not have the military ability to do everything they need,” he continued. “If the Iranians are smart, they will come to the table and negotiate this in a way that they choose to end or deny the nuclear program.”
Israel and Iran traded missile strikes last Thursday for the fifth day of the Jewish state’s late-night strike. There, critical infrastructure that helped Iran pursue the creation of nuclear weapons was damaged or destroyed. In particular, Israel was unable to damage the strongly strengthened Fordow fuel enrichment plant, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“All in”: GOP lawmakers are divided into our involvement as Trump pushes Iran for diplomatic purposes
President Donald Trump will speak to Air Force reporters on his way from Calgary, Canada to a joint base in Andrews, Maryland late Monday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
A bipartisan resolution calling for Congress to go into war with Iran and vote to deny armed conflict has spread completely this week.
President Donald Trump has previously refused to say whether the US would use military force directly to prevent Iran from creating or acquiring nuclear weapons, and he continues to encourage Iranian leaders to negotiate a nuclear deal.
Still, the president met with his national security team in the White House situation room after leaving Canada’s G7 Summit early on Tuesday.
Democrats criticize Israel’s defensive strike against Iran’s nuclear site
Israeli security forces will inspect sites that were attacked by missiles fired from Iran in central Israel on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
Prior to the meeting, he said on social media platform Truth Social, “We now have full and full control of the Iranian skies.” In the same post, he said the US knew where Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was “hiding” but was not prepared to attack, at least “not so for now.”
However, Thune was more cautious and insisted, “We wait and see what they’re doing.”
“I think they’re definitely on their heels right now,” he said. “Their commands and controls were taken out. No one knows who is really in charge.”
“We know. If they’re smart, they’ll come to the table.”
However, he hoped that Iranians began to rise up against Ayatollahs and that they believed that “seeds of change” would begin to appear. He also said, “There’s a lot to suggest to me here, this may be a moment we’ve never seen since 1979.”
Click here to get the Fox News app
Asked if lawmakers would propose a supplementary spending package to further support Israel, Thune said, “If we come to it, we’ll cross that bridge.” However, he assumed that if one is needed, it would be addressed after the budget adjustment process when lawmakers work to fund the government during the 2026 budget period.
“For now, I think everyone wants Israeli success and again, they want the US to not need to be involved further, but they don’t need to realize that they are at risk not just for Israel but for the region and the world,” he said.
Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital, which covers the US Senate.
Source link