Staff Reports
Senator J.D. Vance, a Republican from Ohio, made it clear on Sunday that he does not support authorizing any more force against Iran. He shared his thoughts on CBS News’s Face the Nation, where they were discussing the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which seems to be getting scarier and scarier each day. When asked about the possibility of using force against Iran after their proxies attacked U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria, Vance firmly said no.
JD Vance says he would 'absolutely not' authorize the use of force against Iran https://t.co/hhZVI8G8Le
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 30, 2023
Now, don’t get Vance wrong, he understands the need for red lines. If the Iranians attack American troops or play a role in escalating the conflict, he believes we should respond. And that’s exactly what we did when certain militias supported by Iran attacked our troops – a proportional response. But Vance thinks that launching an attack on Iran’s mainland right now would be a big mistake. He believes it would only escalate the situation further.
It’s important to note that Iran and its proxies have been testing the waters with limited attacks against Israel and U.S. troops ever since the war in Gaza started. This has raised concerns that the conflict could spread and turn into a full-blown regional war. According to Jonathan Schanzer, an expert from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, if Hezbollah, another Iranian proxy, joins in the war against Israel, it’s likely that other proxies will follow suit. And it wouldn’t be surprising if the U.S. gets dragged into it too, given our strong support for Israel.
