Sen. Rick Scott to Newsmax: Trump Right to Confront Iran's Nuclear Threat

President Donald Trump was right to confront Iran over its nuclear ambitions, according to Sen. Rick Scott, who told Newsmax on Sunday that the United States could not allow Tehran to rebuild its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

He added, on a special edition of "The Record With Greta Van Susteren," that Iran had already pursued nuclear weapons and posed a direct threat to Americans and U.S. allies.

"They had a ballistic missile program," Scott said, adding that if Iran obtained nuclear weapons, it would be "no different than North Korea," as the Middle Eastern country would use them.

Scott, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said the president's actions were necessary to prevent American casualties.

"I want Americans to stay alive. I want our military members to stay alive," Scott said. "If they get the nuclear weapon, Americans will die. If they continue to build their ballistic missile programs, Americans will die. So Trump did the right thing, and I'm glad he did it."

Scott, meanwhile, expressed condolences to the families of U.S. service members killed in the region, including a Floridian, and noted the deaths of two service members in southern Lebanon.

Scott also criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying the United Kingdom has not been sufficiently supportive of U.S. operations.

"It's no different than other people that want to pacify, pacify, appease, appease, appease," Scott said. "Trump doesn't want to go to war. Trump has zero interest in putting American troops in harm's way. But you do have an obligation to defend your citizens."

Scott said Starmer "has done a horrible job for England" and said the British leader was "on the wrong side of history" for failing to take a stronger stance against Iran.

The senator also on Sunday said he believes Moscow is assisting Tehran.

"Oh yeah. Absolutely," Scott said when asked whether Russia is helping Iran. "They're telling Iran where to target Americans."

But he said Russian President Vladimir Putin is under pressure because of the war in Ukraine.

"Putin's scared to death now," Scott said. "He's up against probably one of the best militaries ever created in Ukraine. He's not winning in Ukraine."

Scott also said recent developments could affect both Russia and China, which he said rely heavily on Iran.

"China is completely dependent on Iran for oil. Russia is completely dependent on Iran for drones," Scott said. "So both those countries now are in trouble. They're scrambling."

Looking ahead, Scott said the future of Iran remains uncertain if its current regime weakens.

"I think Iran's harder," Scott said when asked about the country's political future. "So I think it's harder to know exactly what's going to happen there and what the factions will be."

Still, he said the United States could not allow Iran to continue its current course.

"We couldn't continue to go along with the Ayatollah building nuclear weapons, building ballistic missiles, and chanting death to America and death to our allies," Scott said. "We didn't have a choice."

Scott also rejected criticism that the Trump administration did not pursue diplomacy with Iran.

"They had a chance," Scott said. "This president has given them all sorts of chances to change their ways, and they decided not to."

"They have been clear-eyed," he added. "They want to destroy every American's way of life. We all have to be smart enough to say when somebody wants to kill you, don't let them."

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