I’m going to summarize the threats that the Iranian regime poses to the United States homeland, but first, I would make two short points. The Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 ranks among the world’s worst terrorist attacks in modern history. In addition to the more than 1,400 Israelis killed, at least thirty-one American citizen deaths make this one of the worst terrorist attacks against Americans since the Pulse nightclub attack in Orlando, Florida, in 2016. American resolve, as shown by the President’s and the Congress’s bipartisan support for Israel, the deployment of two aircraft carrier battle groups to the eastern Mediterranean, are an essential response to this terrorist attack and a warning to Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah. Americans have a stake in what will come after Hamas’s military defeat. The United States is already in discussions with the Israelis and other allies over the future of Gaza, to ensure these terrorist attacks do not repeat in a few years—and to ensure that Iran does not determine the future of Gaza. There is a role for our homeland security agencies in supporting this. But Iran’s role in funding, arming, equipping, and helping train Hamas terrorists is something that our government must, and will, address.
Second, today’s hearing takes place against the background of unprecedented efforts by the Iranian people, women and men, to fight for greater freedoms and justice against the current Iranian regime. We should acknowledge the historic importance of this struggle, which is led by Iranians and should have the support of all Americans. The Iranian regime has chosen to make the United States an adversary. The Iranian people want to make different choices.
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tvfan (14574)
a year ago
Yeap, this entire crisis involving Iran is going to escalate into something more catastrophic.
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