House Speaker Mike Johnson said the United States should support Israel in its “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran as tensions in the region continue to rise.
Johnson made the comments Sunday morning during an appearance on CNN's “State of the Union” with host Jake Tapper. The speaker told Tapper that Iran is the “head of the snake” and that fighting proxy forces like Hezbollah and Hamas will not get the job done.
“Jake, I think we are on the precipice of a new era of security and freedom for Israel, and I think we are very close to ending the conflict there, I hope, I But we can't be vague. We can't placate Iran,” Johnson said.
“Now is the time to put maximum pressure on the head of the snake. The ultimate threat is not Hezbollah or Hamas or their proxies. It is Iran itself, and we must recognize that reality now. “I think we need to recognize that,” he said. Added.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday called for a “maximum pressure campaign” against Iran. (Getty Images)
The comments came as Israel is expected to launch retaliatory strikes against Iran in response to a massive wave of missiles that Tehran and its allies fired at Israel on October 1.
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Mr. Tapper asked Mr. Johnson whether there were any too drastic responses that Israel could take.
“It's not my place to second-guess their strategies or try to micromanage them,” Johnson said. “If that were our position, I think we would be doing a disservice to the overall cause. And that's what the Biden-Harris administration is trying to do at too many points along the way. I think they've been holding back weapons systems when Congress convenes a bipartisan Congress to formally enact that these things will be delivered. ”
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (left), Shin Bet leader Ronen Bar (center), and Israel Defense Forces officer Helge near the Gaza border on Thursday after Israeli forces removed Hamas leader Yahya Shinwar. – Lieutenant General Halevi (right) can be seen giving a speech. (IDF)
Prime Minister Johnson went on to say that tensions in the Middle East are “a conflict between good and evil” and that U.S. support must always remain with Israel.
Johnson's appearance comes as the United States investigates the unauthorized release of classified documents about Israeli retaliatory plans.
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A document attributed to the U.S. Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency states: Israel was not yet On the move Military assets deployed to carry out military strikes in response to Iran's ferocious ballistic missile attack on October 1st. These could be shared within the 'Five Eyes' of the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
The Pentagon is investigating the release of classified documents about Israel and Iran. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)
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The document was posted on the Telegram messaging app last week and was first reported by CNN and Axios. The Associated Press first reported on Sunday about the U.S. investigation into the wrongful release, citing three U.S. officials. A fourth U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the documents appeared to be legitimate, according to the Associated Press.
FOX News' Daniel Wallace contributed to this report.
