Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., defended the Trump administration's refusal to set firm timelines for military operations tied to Iran, telling Newsmax on Monday that clear deadlines would undermine U.S. objectives and embolden adversaries.
On "Ed Henry: The Big Take," Mills contrasted current U.S. strategy with what he described as the "nation-building" efforts of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
President Donald Trump campaigned against "never-ending wars," Mills said.
"These ideas of the Iraq and Afghanistan model of nation building, 20 years, $2 trillion and thousands of lives with boots on the ground, that's a vast contrast to what we're seeing today," he said.
Mills pointed to a series of targeted actions, including U.S. operations involving Venezuela and what he described as "necessary strategic strikes" against Iran, which he called the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism.
He referenced Operation Midnight Hammer, a U.S. military action aimed at eliminating key Iranian nuclear sites, including Isfahan and Natanz.
Rather than committing to a withdrawal timeline, Mills said the administration is wisely focused on strategic milestones.
"As far as timeline, I think that Secretary Hegseth as well as the president is very smart not to set timelines," Mills said. "The reason for that is that you're essentially telling insurgency, and you're telling the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] to essentially hold fast for that timeline and allow them to have operational control once it's over."
The Florida Republican argued that public deadlines can provide adversaries, including Iran's Revolutionary Guard, with a strategic advantage by allowing them to simply outlast U.S. involvement.
Instead, Mills said success should be measured by tangible outcomes: dismantling Iran's nuclear enrichment capabilities, eliminating high-value targets, and ultimately ensuring that governance in Iran rests with its people rather than outside entities.
"Did we eliminate the ability for nuclear enrichment? Did we eliminate the IRGC and their high-value targets? And did we actually hand over an Iran that the people of Iran can run, not outside entities?" Mills said.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and other administration officials have similarly emphasized results over rigid timelines, describing recent actions as limited, strategic efforts designed to prevent nuclear proliferation and fight terrorism without committing U.S. forces to prolonged ground wars.
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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