Rejecting the ramped up rhetoric after Iran's alleged oil tanker attacks and shooting down of a U.S. drone, Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., retaliated with rhetoric of her own, siding with Iran.
The House Intelligence Committee member blames the United States for the "destructive and belligerent" act of "reneging on the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]" as a provocation of war.
"We are provoking them, we are taunting them, and it is not in the interest of the American people nor our service members to be going into a war that is not required," Rep. Speier told CNN's "New Day."
Speier rebuked the United States in defense of Iran, saying "we are not good actors" for having decertified former President Barack Obama's Iran nuclear agreement under President Donald Trump's direction.
"So, I firmly put responsibility on this administration and the president," she added.
The JCPOA was paid for by the Obama administration so Iran would roll back their nuclear arms program for a period of time in exchange for a relief of economic sanctions. Those sanctions were reimposed, along with a maximum pressure campaign, and a designation of Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.
President Trump called out Iran on Thursday morning for making a "loose and stupid" mistake for shooting down the U.S. drone after his State Department has provided photograph evidence Iran was behind mine attacks of Japanese and Norwegian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
House and Senate leaders are headed to the White House on Thursday afternoon to discuss the recent escalation of tensions with Iran.
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