Iran is trying to goad the United States into taking two different courses of action, both of which would be beneficial to the Middle East country, Rep. Adam Kinzinger said Thursday.
"They either want the U.S. to not react to provocation, which makes us look weak, or they want us to overreact which, in that way, they can use the "blame America first" crowd in the United States," the Illinois Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom."
But Iran's problems aren't just that the regime has a problem with President Donald Trump, Kinzinger insisted.
"It's a fact that they want to destroy the United States," said Kinzinger. "They say 'Death to America' We have to take them seriously."
The Trump administration's actions so far, have been proportional, and have been "exactly what Iran doesn't want to see," said Kinzinger.
Meanwhile, Kinzinger, who is in the Air National Guard, said he would categorize the threat level in the region as "yellow and not red yet."
"I'm not sure this is quite yet rising to the level of 'we are on the brink of an impending battle with Iran,'" said Kinzinger. "Iran is overreacting; we are reacting in a measured way. Keep in mind, the rest of the region, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, everywhere, people are protesting against Iranian expansion into the Middle East. Right now they're on the decline and we are in a much better position to see this thing through."
Kinzinger also commented on an opinion piece from The New York Times that by pulling out of the Iran deal, President Donald Trump and his administration have left "little room for dialogue," making provocation from Iran "far more likely," saying it sounds like the "blame America" crowd wrote the article.
There have been many incidents since 1979, said Kinzinger, "despite the fact we have never invaded Iran, and yet somehow, this is our fault."
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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