Reaction from Republican members of Congress to Israel’s Thursday evening strikes on Iran was mixed, highlighting the foreign policy divide in the party.
House and Senate leadership appeared supportive of Israel after the strikes. Still, some prominent GOP members of Congress expressed concern over the United States potentially being drawn into another Middle East war.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said, “The United States Senate stands ready to work with President [Donald] Trump and with our allies in Israel to restore peace in the region and, first and foremost, to defend the American people from Iranian aggression, especially our troops and civilians serving overseas.”
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., praised the Trump administration over its attempts at finding a diplomatic solution to Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“Israel and the United States have been united, including in our shared insistence that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon. President Trump and his administration have worked tirelessly to ensure that outcome. Unfortunately, Iran has refused to agree and even declared yesterday its intent to build a new enrichment facility,” Johnson said.
The speaker defended Israel’s right to conduct the attacks.
“Israel decided it needed to take action to defend itself. They were clearly within their right to do so,” Johnson posted on social media.
The House speaker warned the Islamic regime in Tehran that “Iran will face grave consequences if it responds by unjustifiably targeting U.S. interests.”
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., declared his opposition to a major conflict with the Iranian regime, writing on X, “No war with Iran. The Neocons’ latest plan must be opposed.” Neocon, short for neoconservative, is a term that has become associated with those who generally favor a more interventionist U.S. foreign policy.
“The American people overwhelming oppose our endless wars, and they voted that way when they voted for Donald Trump in 2024,” Paul said on X.
“I urge President Trump to stay the course, keep putting America first, and to not join in any war between other countries,” he said.
“Every American should hope and pray for peace,” the Kentucky Republican added.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed strong support for the Israeli attacks.
The Arkansas senator condemned the regime in Tehran. “Iran is the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism, has the blood of thousands of Americans on its hands, and is rushing to build not only nuclear weapons, but also missiles that can strike the United States,” he said in a statement.
“We back Israel to the hilt, all the way,” Cotton said.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., expressed the idea that Israel does not need to rely as much on American foreign aid.
“Israel doesn’t need U.S. taxpayers’ money for defense if it already has enough to start offensive wars. I vote not to fund this war of aggression,” the Kentucky congressman wrote on X.
In a reply to Trump’s Truth Social post detailing how his administration remained committed to a diplomatic solution with Iran for ending its nuclear weapons program, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., thanked the president.
“The American people aren’t interested in foreign wars. They’re actually thrilled you’re sending in the National Guard to stop the Democrat-funded war against America,” the Georgia congressman added.
Recent polling from May, conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs-Ipsos, shows a supermajority among Republicans in favor of continued assistance to Israel. Some 72% of Republicans surveyed supported “continuing U.S. military assistance until [the militant group] Hamas is destroyed or dismantled.” Democrats opposed continuing the support 59% to 32% in that same poll.
“The U.S. stands with Israel and our partners and allies who have long lived under the shadow of Iran’s regional terrorism, ballistic missiles, drones, and malign influence,” Robert Greenway, director of the Allison Center for National Security at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal yesterday.
The attacks targeted several Iranian military bases and the homes of key military command personnel in an attempt to disrupt the Iranian government’s capacity to build a nuclear bomb. One of the top officials killed was Gen. Hossein Salami, the commander in chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Guard Corps are the primary military force responsible for protecting the regime’s leaders and is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S.