Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called on President Biden to release weapons to Israel after a suspected rocket attack injured several U.S. service members on the Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq.
“After repeated attacks on American troops in the region, and while Israel is under threat from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, the U.S. cannot hesitate to defend our servicemembers and our ally,” Johnson said in a Tuesday statement.
He added that any attack by Iran against Israel or the U.S. should be “met with decisive force,” with the U.S. and its allies in the region working to “strongly counter Iran and its terror proxies to send a clear message against these malign activities.”
“We know the current Iranian aggression, backed by Chinese and Russian interests, comes after a months-long pressure campaign against Israel from the Biden-Harris Administration. Now is the time for the White House to realize their choices have brought us to the brink of disaster and give full-throated support to Israel,” Johnson continued.
“President Biden must immediately release all previously withheld and delayed weapons to Israel — so it can defend its people and deter Iran — and make clear that there will be decisive economic, military, and international ramifications should Iran engage in or support any attacks,” Johnson said.
A Defense Department spokesperson did not immediately say who was behind the rocket attack, but Iranian-backed militants have made threats against U.S. forces there.
