Rep. Himes: ‘No exit strategy' in Iran
Connecticut’s congressional delegation continues to question the Trump Administration’s motivation for launching strikes against Iran.
Rep. Jim Himes (D-4th District) said the shifting explanations show there was never a clear objective or existing strategy.
Hime is the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, meaning he is part of a Gang of Eight lawmakers briefed before Saturday’s strikes.
“Americans, if they’re going to give up their people and their tax dollars to this sort of thing, deserve to know both what the strategy, what the objectives, and what the ultimate end game is,” Himes said in an interview on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump and his cabinet continue to make the case to the public and to Congress.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that Trump decided to launch the strikes amid beliefs that Israel was also going to attack Iran, potentially leading to counterstrikes against U.S. bases in the Middle East.
Trump has maintained that the main rationale was concern about Iran’s nuclear weapons program and the potential threat against the U.S.
“We were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they were going to attack first,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Himes, though, expressed concern about Rubio’s remarks, suggesting the U.S. should have first tried to deter Israel.
“That is suggesting that the most powerful superpower that mankind has ever known doesn’t have options, which is just plain wrong,” Hime said.
He also noted Trump has talked about regime change, even encouraging Iranians to topple their government.
“Let’s be clear here, there is no exit strategy–right?” Himes said. “At least in the long run.”
Other members of the state’s delegation have been getting information through briefings held this week. They, too, say they’re not satisfied with what they’ve heard.
“I am more fearful than ever after this briefing that we may be putting boots on the ground,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. has been winning the war without doing so.
He released a video of a submarine sinking an Iranian ship with a torpedo strike in the Indian Ocean this morning. Hegseth also said the U.S. is on the verge of “complete” control of Iran’s airspace, and he expects strikes to move deeper into the country.
Democrats have been unsuccessful in getting Trump to cooperate with Congress moving forward. The Senate on Wednesday rejected a War Powers Resolution.
Himes admits he was skeptical the move would have worked, adding that Trump was likely to veto the bill anyway.
Still, he wants more congressional involvement. He opposed the strike but says he’s willing to listen to an exit strategy before demanding the U.S. withdraw.
From breaking news and local politics to art exhibitions, live music, high school sports, small businesses, and cultural events, we celebrate the people and places that make Connecticut unique.