On Thursday’s broadcast of Bloomberg’s “Balance of Power,” Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) stated that President Donald Trump thinks he needs more leverage on Iran and dealing with Iran will “require the threat of more military force, perhaps more military force. It’s the President’s job to make the case that we need to do that and to lay out a more clear strategy on a going-forward basis.”
Young said that “the President believes that we, of course, need to get more leverage, and then get the Iranians back to the table for a negotiated settlement. But, as they have proven time and time again, they’re not feeling the heat enough. And so, unfortunately, it’s going to require the threat of more military force, perhaps more military force. It’s the President’s job to make the case that we need to do that and to lay out a more clear strategy on a going-forward basis. But the number one goal of this conflict, we can’t lose sight of, and that is to secure the nuclear materials, remove them if possible, and then establish a verifiable enforcement regime for whatever political settlement might ultimately be agreed upon.”
Co-host Joe Mathieu then asked, “I’m wondering your thoughts on the targeting selection and the fact that we used a B-1 bomber, apparently, last evening for the first time since the resumption of hostilities. What are we planning for here, Senator, if not the potential for a ground incursion?”
Young answered, “Well, again, I don’t believe that the President has made a decision on that. As he makes that sort of decision, one would hope he’d let members of Congress know and make the case to the American people. But the use of a B-1 platform typically involves both operational means, but also psychological. … So that’s what I make of, both an operational, and what we call in the military a psyops decision, to employ the B-1.”
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