Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) on Wednesday praised President Trump for de-escalating tensions with Iran by focusing on sanctions instead of further hostilities.
“I think we’re going to go in the direction of increasing maximum economic pressure on the Iranian regime,” Gallagher, who is an Iraq War veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, told Hill.TV.
“When the dust settles, if what we’re left with is Trump has taken Qassem Soleimani off the battle field and the Iranians have done very little in response, that’s a massive win for the administration,” he added.
During an address to the nation on Wednesday morning, Trump said he would be imposing new “punishing” sanctions against Tehran following missile attacks on two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops.
“No Americans were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime,” Trump said before adding that Tehran “appears to be standing down.”
The president’s comments come less than a week after he ordered an airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The move was characterized as a defensive measure by the Trump administration, though Democrats have dismissed it as an unnecessary provocation.
“We must ensure the safety of our service members, including ending needless provocations from the Administration and demanding that Iran cease its violence,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Tuesday night in a tweet following the Iran strike directed at U.S. troops.
—Tess Bonn
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.