Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) said Sunday he would not support authorizing the further use of force against Iran.
Appearing on CBS News’s Face the Nation, Vance gave his perspective on the current war between Israel and Hamas, where fear of escalation grows by the day. When asked whether he would support the use of force against the state of Iran after its proxies attacked United States military bases in Iraq and Syria, the Ohio Republican answered in the negative.
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“Right now? Absolutely not,” Vance answered. “I think that we should be trying to de-escalate the situation. Of course, we need to have red lines, though if the Iranians attack American troops … if they play an escalatory role in the conflict, we need to be willing to respond.”
“They have attacked, certain militia groups have attacked, and I think we’ve done the right thing — a proportionate response,” he clarified when reminded that some Iran-backed militias had attacked U.S. troops. “If they hit us, we have to hit them back. But if you’re talking about an attack on the Iranian mainland, I think that would be a significant escalation right now. It would be a mistake.”
Ohio Sen. @JDVance1 says he would “absolutely not” authorize use of force from Pres. Biden against Iran now, calling for deescalation.
“If they hit us, we have to hit them back,” he says, but an attack on the Iranian mainland “would be a significant escalation” and “a mistake.” pic.twitter.com/hjl96XfU8M
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) October 29, 2023
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Iran and its proxies have launched limited attacks against Israel and U.S. troops after the war in Gaza broke out, raising fears of the conflict escalating into a major regional war.
Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told the Washington Examiner that in the event that Hezbollah joins the war against Israel, Iran’s other proxies would join as well and likely drag the U.S. into the conflict due to its support of Israel.
