The Trump administration does not want to go to war with Iran, but to protect U.S. troops and interests in the Middle East, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said Wednesday, basing his comments on talks he has had with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton.
"I think that's being overblown," Rep. McCaul told Fox News' "America's Newsroom," about the talk of going to war with Iran. "Certainly, if our troops are hit by Iranian forces, we will respond with full force in retaliation. But let's hope that doesn't happen. I think the goal here is to de-escalate the situation."
He added it appears Iran is backing down from its threats, now that its leaders know the U.S. knows about them, and he also thinks much of the tension is because of the sanctions the U.S. has imposed on the country.
"The sanctions we've levied on them have put them in such a desperate situation, now that they're starting to respond in this fashion," McCaul said. "This is about defending our allies and defending our military and troops in the region. I can't imagine anybody being against that."
McCaul, who was involved in a briefing Tuesday about Iran, said Pompeo also laid out 12 points he wants Iran to achieve to bring the conflict to a resolution.
McCaul also was to attend a briefing on immigration Wednesday, and said he also expects Democrats there to be "highly critical as they always are and not productive," but the border problem is "out of control" and solutions must be found.
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.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.