Republicans blasted President Joe Biden after the U.S. military announced three American troops were killed and 25 injured in a drone attack in Jordan on Sunday.
“Joe Biden emboldened Iran for years by tolerating attacks on our troops, bribing the ayatollahs with billions of dollars, and appeasing them to no end. He left our troops as sitting ducks and now three are dead and dozens wounded, sadly as I’ve predicted would happen for months,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said in a statement.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) speaks on Capitol Hill, on March 10, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
“On behalf of Arkansans, I extend my deepest condolence to the families of our brave fallen warriors. May God comfort them as He welcomes their loved ones into His embrace. And may God quickly and completely heal their wounded comrades,” he added.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said the Biden administration’s policy of deterrence against Iran “has failed miserably.”
“There have been over 100 attacks against U.S. forces in the region. Iran is undeterred,” he said, adding, “I am sending my condolences to the families of our fallen heroes in Jordan. I am also wishing a full recovery to those injured. Our forces in Jordan and Syria are there to protect the American homeland and to provide stability in a troubled region. Their service and sacrifice will always be appreciated. They are true heroes.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
On Sunday afternoon, U.S. Central Command announced that three U.S. service members were killed and 25 injured from a one-way attack drone that hit a military base in northeast Jordan, near the Syria border.
Iran-proxy forces have targeted U.S. troops in the region since Hamas’s terrorist attack in Israel on October 7, which killed more than 1,200.
There have been more than 150 attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria since mid-October, with at least one critically injured. Sunday’s attack was the first time U.S. troops have been killed in such an attack in recent months.
Cotton and Graham, both military veterans, called for retaliation.
U.S. soldiers patrol the countryside of Rumaylan (Rmeilan) in Syria’s northeastern Hasakeh province on June 7, 2023. (DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Graham called on Biden to strike targets of significance inside Iran, not only as reprisal for the killing of our forces, but as deterrence against future aggression.”
“The only thing the Iranian regime understands is force. Until they pay a price with their infrastructure and their personnel, the attacks on U.S. troops will continue,” he said, adding:
Secretary Austin’s efforts to deter aggression against our forces in the region has failed miserably. I’ve long since lost confidence in the Biden national security team to deter Iran. If they do not change their policies now, more American service members in the region will pay the price. Hit Iran now. Hit them hard.
WATCH — CNN’s Liebermann: Deterrence Failed, We Have Conflict with Iran Proxies Biden Tried to Avoid;
Cotton called for “devastating military retaliation” against “Iran’s terrorist forces” both in Iran and across the Middle East.
“The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East. Anything less will confirm Joe Biden as a coward unworthy of being commander-in-chief,” Cotton said.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) also called for retaliation. “Target Tehran,” Cornyn replied on X.
“It was only a matter of a time before Biden’s appeasement strategy towards Iran got American service-members killed. Tragic and preventable,” Rep. Mike Waltz concluded.
