Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) said that the Iranian attack on Israel could bring the country’s nuclear program back into focus. The senator made the comment as the Islamic Republic launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel this weekend.
Ernst said that it was “unprecedented for Iran not to utilize those proxies but to strike directly against Israel and to engage with ballistic missiles.”
“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,” she said.
This is why Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. https://t.co/Clg3PZMT7u
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) April 14, 2024
The senator said that the United States should “assist the Israelis in any way possible to push back against this threat.”
Ernst cited the successful peace effort launched by former President Donald Trump through the Abraham Accords.
“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,” she said.
The senator’s warning came less than a week after the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran was stockpiling enough fissile material to be able to build an atomic bomb.
The report indicated that Iran had enriched enough uranium at its Fordow facility to be able to use it for a bomb. While Iran claims that it does not want to build a nuclear weapon, Washington and Jerusalem fear that the program will be used to create nuclear weapons.
The amount the country collected could in theory allow Iran to create a nuclear bomb within several weeks or months.
Iran launched several hundred drones and missiles at Israel for the first time in history. A large majority of the drones and missiles were shot down before reaching Israel. Israel was aided by the United States, the United Kingdom and Jordan each aided in shooting down the projectiles.
The Iranian attack followed an Israeli strike in Damascus, Syria earlier this year that killed a number of senior Iranian leaders.
