#JD Vance says he would not support authorizing military action in Iran

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) said Sunday he would not support military action against Iran on its own soil right now as threats continue to increase on U.S. troops in the Middle East.

CBS’s Margaret Brennan asked Vance on “Face the Nation” if he would authorize the use of force by President Biden against Iran as attacks on U.S. troops are rising in the Middle East.

“Right now, absolutely not,” Vance said. “I think that we should be trying to deescalate the situation. Of course, we need to have red lines, though. If the Iranians attack American troops, if they play —”

“They have, multiple times,” Brennan interjected.

“If they play an escalatory role in the conflict, we need to be willing to respond,” Vance continued. “They have attacked, certain militia groups have attacked and I think we’ve done the right thing, a proportionate response. 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.”

Biden ordered U.S. military forces on Friday to carry out “self-defense airstrikes” on a weapons storage facility and an ammunition storage area used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups in eastern Syria.

There have been at least 19 attacks against U.S. and coalition forces in the Middle East over the past two weeks, including four times in Syria and 12 times in Iraq. There were also three new attacks on Thursday.

Iran-backed proxies have stepped up attacks on U.S. troops abroad in the wake of Israel’s retaliation on Hamas after its attack on Israel on Oct. 7. Though Iran has long been known to support the militant group in the past, the U.S. has said it does not see evidence of a direct role in the Oct. 7 deadly attack against Israel.

Thousands of people on both sides, including many civilians, have been killed in the ensuing fighting between Israel and Hamas.