President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement is what led to the attack on Saudi oil installations, apparently from an Iranian base, Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, told CNN's "New Day" on Tuesday.
"I think the unfortunate and unwise decision by the Trump administration to walk away from the Iran nuclear deal really led us to where we are today," King said. "There was no reason to do that. The deal was flawed, everybody knew that, but the way to approach it was to build on our international coalition and work on some of the issues like Iranian proxies, like Iranian missiles."
King, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, stressed that when the Trump adminstration withdrew from the agreement, it “put all the pressure on Iran and now we shouldn't act surprised when they strike back."
The senator suggested everyone "should take a deep breath." He stressed "there is not an emergency. This is not an imminent threat to the homeland," adding there is time to consider all the facts, consult with our allies, and hold discussions with experts.
King also said emphatically "the president should stop tweeting altogether about this and stop making off-the-cuff remarks. This isn't domestic politics – this is war and peace and he’s already sent confusing signals."
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