US military response to Iran missile attacks not needed ‘at this point’: Mike Turner
House Intelligence Committee Mike Turner (R-OH) does not believe the United States needs to engage in an offensive military response to Iran‘s missile attack on Israel but disagrees with the Biden administration that this is not an “escalating” conflict.
“I don’t think at this point that the United States should be engaged in a military action directly at Iran,” Turner said in a Sunday interview with NBC News’s Meet the Press.
Turner’s comments come after Iran launched more than 200 UAVs, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles into the Jewish State on Saturday night and into Sunday morning. Israeli military forces have said they were able to intercept “99% of the threats launched toward Israeli territory.”
Ahead of Turner’s interview, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Biden has been clear that he does not want to see an escalating conflict with Iran.
“We’re not looking for a wider war with Iran,” Kirby said. “I think the coming hours and days will tell us a lot.”
However, Turner slammed Kirby’s reaction to the attacks as dismissive and “wrong.”
“In this instance, you just heard John Kirby articulate that the defense was successful, and then almost as if a dismissal of the fact that Iran has attacked Israel directly,” the chairman said.
“And certainly, this is an escalation,” Turner added. “I think John Kirby is wrong to be able to say we don’t want an escalating conflict. It is already escalating and the administration needs to respond.”
President Joe Biden released a statement praising Israel’s “remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks” and reaffirmed “America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well.
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However, Turner said the Biden administration has failed to say there is a “red line,” and if it continues to deny the threat Iran poses, then there will be a “broader conflict” in the Middle East.
“Their failure to box in Iran and let them understand there will be consequences make it more dangerous every day,” the Ohio congressman said.
