Senator: Trump acted to “stop war,” not start one in Iran

Senator John Kennedy said on Wednesday, March 25, that US President Donald Trump entered the conflict with Iran not to start a war, but to bring one to an end, framing the decision as unavoidable.

Speaking to Larry Kudlow on Fox Business Network, Kennedy argued that the administration acted in response to what he described as escalating threats from Tehran. “Here’s why we went into Iran: We had no choice. The president didn’t start a war, he was trying to stop a war. Iran basically said, “We’re producing 200 to 600 missiles a month, and we’re going to stockpile so many missiles that when we restart our nuclear program, if you try to do anything about it, we will destroy the entire Middle East, and we will hit London and Paris and Berlin,’” Kennedy said.

He outlined what he described as the administration’s military objectives in the campaign. “So, the president went in. His objectives were to destroy Iran’s missile manufacturing plants, destroy their drone manufacturing plants, destroy as many of their missiles as we can, destroy as many of their drones as we can, destroy the infrastructure of the Revolutionary Guard, destroy their navy and destroy their air force,” he added.

Later the same day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated that the United States may be nearing key milestones in its military operation, suggesting a potential shift in the scale of the campaign.

“We are very close to meeting the core objectives of Operation Epic Fury, and this military mission continues unabated,” Leavitt told reporters, referring to the destruction of the Iranian navy and ongoing efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflict, which has now lasted nearly a month, has drawn mixed reactions domestically, with polling indicating limited public support for the fighting. The humanitarian toll has also mounted. Media reports indicate that more than 2,100 children have been killed or wounded in the region since the start of hostilities.

Earlier in the conflict, senior lawmakers from both Democratic and Republican parties said the Trump administration’s decision to launch bombing and missile strikes was largely influenced by Israeli planning. During a classified briefing, administration officials told members of Congress that an Israeli plan to strike Iran prompted Washington to act preemptively in order to protect US troops stationed in the Middle East.

However, Trump later suggested that he may have encouraged Israel to move first. “It was my opinion that they were going to attack first,” Trump told reporters earlier this month, referring to Iran.

By Tamilla Hasanova