U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin defended the Trump administration’s military action against Iran following a classified briefing from White House officials, saying the campaign is focused on eliminating a long-standing threat to the United States. Speaking with reporters after the briefing, Mullin said the objective is to prevent Iran from striking U.S. interests, rebuilding its missile and drone capabilities, or enriching uranium to produce nuclear weapons. He also said the U.S. military has already significantly weakened Iran’s ability to respond, describing the country as “weaker… than it has been in probably a decade.”
Mullin said the operation is aimed at the Iranian regime, not the Iranian people, and argued the current pressure could give citizens an opportunity to reclaim control of their country. He also pushed back on questions about whether Congress should vote to authorize the conflict, saying the president has authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect U.S. interests without a formal declaration of war.
You can watch Mullins Q&A with reporters courtesy C-SPAN below.
