Israel’s strikes against Iran amount to US military action despite official denials from Washington, US Senator Ted Cruz has suggested. Tehran has accused America of complicity in Israel’s attacks on its nuclear infrastructure.
Israel launched a series of attacks on Iran last Friday, targeting sites linked to its nuclear program and killing scientists and senior military officials. The Israeli authorities described the campaign as “preemptive,” claiming it was aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas, defended the strikes and called for regime change in Tehran during a tense interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson this week.
”We are bombing the crap out of them. Israel is,” the lawmaker said.
”Right now, this tiny little country the size of the state of New Jersey is fighting our enemies for us and taking out their military leadership, and trying to take out their nuclear capacity,” he added. “That makes America much safer.”
Iran denies having a military component to its nuclear program and maintains that it does not seek nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency has said it sees no evidence to support Israel’s allegations. US intelligence agencies have offered similar assessments, though President Donald Trump has dismissed these conclusions.
Carlson confronted Cruz over his failure to recall basic facts about the Iranian population, including its size and composition, raising concerns about the senator’s support for regime change.
Cruz pushed back, accusing Carlson of being overly skeptical about allegations that Iran had plotted to assassinate Trump – a claim brought up by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an appearance on Fox News last week.
”You don’t believe they are trying to murder Trump because you are not calling for military strikes against them in retaliation,” Carlson argued.
”We are carrying out military strikes today,” Cruz replied.
Carlson noted that it was Israel conducting the attacks, to which Cruz responded: “Right, with our help. I’ve said ‘we.’ Israel is leading them, but we are supporting them.”
Carlson highlighted the significance of Cruz’s comments, pointing out that they contradict statements made by National Security Council spokesman Alex Pfeiffer, who has denied US military involvement.
Cruz went on to say he hopes Iran’s government will fall to a popular uprising – a scenario Israeli leaders have endorsed during the conflict. He added, however, that he would not support sending US troops to occupy the country.
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