Rep. Troy Downing, R-Mont., told Newsmax on Thursday that the conflict with Iran represents a pivotal moment, not just for the region, but for the entire world.
Appearing on “National Report,” Downing framed the conflict as a high-stakes test of whether the U.S. and its allies will prevent Tehran’s hostile regime from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“This is not about the Middle East, it’s not about Israel,” he said. “This is about the world. The world cannot afford to have a nuclear-powered Iran.”
Drawing on his experience as a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in a combat search and rescue squadron, Downing stressed the seriousness of military operations now underway.
He praised recent rescue efforts tied to operations in Iran while urging viewers to focus on the broader strategic objective.
Downing said Iran’s long track record — including backing proxy groups like Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis — shows why the regime cannot be trusted with nuclear capability.
“Iran has been basically fighting proxy wars against the United States and our allies,” he said, warning that its influence stretches far beyond its borders.
The congressman raised concerns not only about traditional nuclear weapons, but also unconventional threats such as dirty bombs or smuggled materials.
“There’s other ways to harm the U.S. and our interests and our allies,” Downing said, emphasizing the need to account for all enriched uranium.
At the same time, he acknowledged the economic strain many Americans are feeling as geopolitical tensions drive up fuel prices and supply costs.
“You mentioned earlier about the price at the gas pumps and all these kinds of short-term economic things,” Downing said. “We all are thinking about that, we’re holding that high in our thoughts because people are struggling with that.”
Still, he argued those impacts are temporary and necessary in the larger fight to ensure global security.
“But there’s the bigger issue of what does the world look like with a nuclear-powered terrorist Islamist regime?” Downing said. “But a lot of that is temporary. I’m not discounting the pain at the pump, but even what we’ve seen has not been as bad as we saw in the previous administration.”
The Montana Republican also expressed deep skepticism about any negotiations with Tehran, citing what he described as decades of bad-faith diplomacy.
“We’ve been looking at 47 years of this regime … pretending that they’re negotiating while they’re doing bad things in the back room,” he said.
While supporting diplomatic efforts in principle, Downing cautioned U.S. leaders to remain vigilant and realistic about Iran’s intentions.
“Don’t take anything at face value,” he said, adding that skepticism is “warranted.”
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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