President Donald Trump strongly criticized former President Barack Obama for drawing a "line" with Syria, but what he is doing with his threats against Iran are worse and if the United States is drawn into a war, the consequences for the nation's global position would be "tragic," Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said Monday.
"This is a small space and a tinderbox," Coons told CNN's "New Day." "It is critical we play our hand thoroughly, cautiously, carefully and recognizing we face an enormous challenge from China and a real and sustained challenge from Russia. If we were to be drawn into a war with Iran, the consequences for the global position would be, I think, tragic."
Trump, however, is "using Twitter to amp up the rhetoric and doing a 180," Coons said. "Amping it up in Syria, amping it up in Iran, amping it up with Russia, he goes back and forth. All it takes is some flattering comments and he reverses himself again."
Coons said he is also concerned lawmakers have not been fully briefed on Trump's plans for Iran.
"I was able to see printed materials last week about Iran's aggressive behavior in the region [and] I will tell you, I learned nothing from the material that I didn't learn from the news," Coons said. "There is going to be a classified briefing today on Afghanistan and an all-senators briefing, I believe, tomorrow on Iran. We still haven't heard any strategy from this administration."
However, Trump "bluffs" about taking on Iran, and "we need to have a serious conversation about the costs, risks and the plan," Coons said. "So far there is no plan I have seen or heard of."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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