WASHINGTON – During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” today, U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, anticipated the U.S. will engage in a “coordinated, multi-faceted effort to push back” against Iran’s most recent ballistic missile test and its other destabilizing actions in the Middle East. He also reiterated his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal and discussed the Obama administration’s failure to respond to previous Iranian ballistic missile tests and other violations. Yesterday, Corker met with National Security Advisor General Mike Flynn to discuss how Congress and the White House can work together to address some of the most important foreign policy and national security issues facing the country, including Iran.
“[The Trump administration] has always thought the Iran deal, as I have, was a bad deal,” said Corker. “I think what has happened is they have come into office and have had the ability now to see the intelligence, and they’re probably even more upset about the lack of action over the last six or seven months… Without being too pejorative, the former administration should have taken action [and] did not take action. And I think now [the Trump administration] is even more anxious to make sure that we push back against what Iran has been doing.”
“We've been turning our head on ballistic missile testing, on conventional arms sales, on heavy water overages. We have. And we do need to push back,” continued Corker. “When they have their naval vessels threatening ours, they need to be aware that there’s a new day. We are not putting up with the things they have been doing in the region.”
“I think you are going to see pushback not only against the violations on the nuclear agreement, I think there is going to be, as there should have been all along, pushback against what they are doing in Yemen, what they’re doing in Syria, what they are doing in other places,” added Corker.
“I wrote an op-ed when the Iran deal took place stating that it was going to become our de facto policy in the Middle East and it has become that,” concluded Corker. “I think what you are seeing is an administration coming in, understanding what Iran is, who they are, what they do, how nefarious they are, and I think you are going to see a coordinated, multi-faceted effort to push back against their nefarious actions in the region, and I support that.”
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