Sen. Steve Daines told Newsmax on Tuesday that the United States will not repeat what he called the failed nation-building experiment in Afghanistan.
He said the president made clear that the mission in Iran is focused, forceful, and limited.
Appearing on Newsmax's "National Report," the Montana Republican said President Donald Trump's leadership has put the United States on a path to neutralize the Iranian threat without committing to a prolonged ground war.
"President Trump has been decisive," Daines said. "He has moral clarity on the situation not only in the Middle East but around the world."
He described the past several days as historic, arguing that the administration's actions mark a turning point after "47 years of a reign of terror and tyranny in Iran."
Daines called Iran "the greatest single destabilizing force in the Middle East and the world," citing its role as "the leading sponsor of terror in the world" and "the backers of Hamas, of Hezbollah, [and] of the Houthis."
Drawing on his recent travels abroad, he said U.S. allies in the Middle East have consistently warned about the Iranian threat.
"As I've been traveling around the world over the course of the last 12 months — I've been in Qatar, I've been in the Emirates, I've been in Saudi Arabia, I've been in Bahrain — the topic is always front and center about the threat Iran posed," Daines said.
He noted Iran's longstanding hostility toward the U.S. and Israel, pointing out that "they call the United States 'the great Satan' ... [and] Israel the 'little Satan'" while chanting, "Death to America."
According to Daines, allowing Iran to continue advancing its nuclear program was not an option.
"It was only a matter of time before they had capabilities to take out the United States with a nuclear weapon," he said. "It was either we're going to wait for them to do it, or for us to preemptively strike with this imminent threat."
Daines praised Trump and the administration for what he described as bold leadership at a pivotal time.
"This is a generational moment," he said. "This is for our children and our grandchildren."
At the same time, Daines stressed that the United States is not pursuing regime change through occupation or a drawn-out rebuilding effort.
"I don't see us with boots on the ground," he said. "We are not going to be nation-building. That was one of the mistakes in Afghanistan was to be nation building.
"That's not going to happen."
Instead, Daines said there is a "very clear mission" — eliminating Iran's nuclear capabilities and degrading its leadership structure to remove the immediate threat.
"It will be about the Iranian people determining the future of Iran," he added, arguing that removing the regime's leadership gives citizens "a chance now to reset a much better, bolder, brighter, peaceful future."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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