Saturday, during an appearance on Fox News Channel’s continuing coverage of Iran’s attack on Israel, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) said Iran’s direct strike on Israel now raises questions about Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
The Iowa Republican suggested the strike could have a chilling effect on Israel and its people.
“[T]his is unprecedented for Iran not to utilize those proxies but to strike directly against Israel and to engage with ballistic missiles,” she said. “The thoughts that I have heard coming from other colleagues, people within the space makes you wonder how close are they also to having those nuclear capabilities? They want Israelis to exist in fear, wondering what that next step will be.”
“But again, it is unprecedented what Iran has done, and we have got to assist the Israelis in any way possible to push back against this threat,” Ernst added. “Now, we do see Saudi Arabia stepping up. We see Jordan stepping up. We want to thank those Arab nations that are friends to Israel, engaged through the Abraham Accords and other partnerships. This is part of the DEFEND Act, which is bipartisan. I led that effort in the Senate many years ago. But to tie all of these nations together in an air defense mechanism so that they could protect against Iran. We see the successes when America chooses to lead. And this is what we need at this moment — is American leadership that will step forward and support Israel.”
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
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