Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., told Newsmax on Wednesday he blamed Democrats for the outbreak of fighting between Israel and Iran, saying the party helped "embolden Iran" during the Biden administration.
Israel last week launched a missile strike on Iran's nuclear facilities and top military leaders, prompting the country to fire back and leading the two nations to exchange fire over a six-day period.
Hagerty said on "Wake Up America" that "what the Democrats did when they were in power is actually embolden Iran to do exactly what they're doing."
The senator claimed that Democrats rolled back President Donald Trump's policies on Iran once former President Joe Biden entered office, allowing Iran to rebuild its power and influence over other countries and groups in the Middle East.
He added, "If you think about it, I worked in President Trump's first administration as U.S. Ambassador [to Japan]. We put the maximum pressure campaign on Iran. They were running out of money. They were broke."
Hagerty continued, "Biden comes back in and implements the Obama policies. Flush with cash, Iran begins to peddle terror throughout the Middle East. That brought us the October 7th, 2023 massacre in Israel. The Houthis basically shut down the Red Sea. The Iranians have been fomenting terror all around the region."
The senator said, "The time has come for this to stop. Israel has stepped up and put Iran in a very difficult situation. President Trump has some very important cards right now, and I don't think the Senate should be interfering with him. I think this can be resolved in days."
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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