Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) said Iran’s military capabilities are being “significantly diminished” when asked about the possibility of deploying ground troops to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump has stated that he is giving Iran until Tuesday to “open the F***in’ Strait,” warning the regime it will be “living in Hell” if it doesn’t. ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Turner, a member of the Armed Services Committee, if ground troops would be needed to reopen the Strait.
Turner didn’t directly answer the question at first, saying that Europe and the United States would be “at risk” if President Donald Trump didn’t act against Iran. Stephanopoulos reiterated his question, to which Turner gave a more specific response.
“Well, I think, you’re certainly seeing that even as this conflict evolves, that that is being put in place, and I don‘t think U.S. ground troops are going to be necessary in any direct conflict,” Turner said on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos. “In this instance, we‘re seeing that the conflict is continuing with the president beginning to, in conjunction with Israel, significantly diminish Iran‘s military capabilities, both their navy, their missile capabilities, overall are continuing, and certainly, their nuclear capabilities are being continually diminished. And that was the goal, and that is an incredibly important goal for the safety of the United States.”
Turner added that the Strait will eventually reopen, but “you have to be able to address” Iran’s military capabilities and “ambition” for power. He concluded his interview reiterating that, “I don’t believe” it will take ground troops to reopen the Strait.
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Trump appeared to give a follow-up warning to Iran over his Tuesday deadline, writing, “Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time” on Truth Social.
Trump said multiple Iranian military leaders have been killed in a “massive” strike on Tehran on Saturday. The president said the leaders “along with much else” had been eliminated in this strike.