South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has urged Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to blow parts of Iran “off the map.”
Graham told Austin not to show “weakness” and to clarify the U.S. red lines for a retaliatory attack.
On Wednesday, more missiles were fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)said.
“Without Iran, there are no Houthis,” Graham told Fox News.
“The Houthis are completely backed by Iran. I have been saying for six months now…hit Iran. They have oil fields out in the open, they have the Revolutionary Guard headquarters you can see from space. Blow it off the map.
“If you really want to protect American soldiers, make it real to the ayatollah [that if] you attack a solider through a proxy, we’re coming after you.”
Attacks by Iran-backed militias have stepped up, with more than 100 attacks on troops in Iraq and Syria this year.
As Newsweek reported:
One person was critically injured and two others hurt in a drone attack on a U.S. base in Irbil, Iraqi-Kurdistan, on Monday. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq—linked to Kataib Hezbollah—said it was responsible. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence describes Kataib Hezbollah as a group that “poses a high threat to U.S. diplomatic and military personnel in Iraq and Syria” and “seeks to establish an Iran-aligned government in Iraq.”
Austin said “necessary and proportionate” attacks approved by President Joe Biden had been made on Kataib Hezbollah.
CENTCOM said Monday in a statement:
“In response to multiple attacks against coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, U.S. military forces conducted airstrikes against multiple facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups in Iraq,” CENTCOM said Monday in a statement.
“Earlier in the day, Iranian sponsored Kataib Hezbollah terrorists and affiliated groups attacked coalition forces at Erbil, Iraq resulting in several injuries.”
Graham said Joe Biden and Austin are “failing our troops in the field,” despite the strikes.
“I admire him, he is a patriot, but he is not doing a good job protecting the soldiers,” Graham said, referring to Austin.
“I asked him a couple of months ago is there a red line? Would you tell our enemies publicly that if you kill an America we are coming after you?”
Earlier this year, Graham said he had “lost all confidence” in Austin regarding the conflict in the Middle East.
In October, Graham pressed Austin on the red line for an attack on Iran.
However, Graham interrupted Austin’s response, saying, “Iran should be held accountable” during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing.
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