Duckworth Underscores How the Trump Administration’s Incoherent Tactics and Lack of Strategy in Iran is a Recipe for a Forever War

Duckworth Underscores How the Trump Administration's Incoherent Tactics and Lack of Strategy in Iran is a Recipe for a Forever War

In Senate hearing, the Senator issued warning: "If we don't know what we're fighting for, we certainly don't know how long we'll be fighting"

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) grilled Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper about the Trump Administration's lack of strategy and clear end state in its illegal war against Iran, setting us up for a forever war at great cost to our servicemembers and the American people. Through a series of questions at today's U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing, Duckworth pressed Admiral Cooper to articulate the Administration's desired end states and potential expansion of the war, including putting American boots on the ground. Notably, when asked by Duckworth about whether he had been consulted for advice by civilian leadership about deploying ground troops in Iran, the Admiral did not deny providing such advice-leaving open the possibility for Trump's illegal conflict to expand to a ground war. Video of Duckworth's full remarks can be found on the Senator's YouTube.

"Every metric Secretary Hegseth offers is one of destruction-and destruction alone is not an end-state, especially not with new public reporting that U.S. intelligence officials believe Iran has operational access to most of its missile capacity and Iran is clearly still capable of controlling the Strait of Hormuz," said Duckworth. "Americans are not safer, our servicemembers are at risk, prices at home are higher and Iran has more control over the Strait and global economy than it did before this started. The American people-and our servicemembers-deserve clear answers about what 'done' looks like and how we get there. As we saw in Afghanistan, if you don't have a sound strategy, you can keep doing tactics forever."

During her questioning, Duckworth lambasted the Administration for misleading the American people about its incoherent strategy, including its claim that hostilities have ended despite its ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz-which is considered an act of war under international law.

"The President may claim that hostilities with Iran have ended, but that's plainly not the case," said Duckworth. "The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, the U.S. and Iranian forces continue to trade fire and Donald Trump is constantly shifting the goals of this illegal war-leaving our servicemembers and the American people without the clear end state they deserve. These incoherent tactics devoid of strategy must end. If we don't know what we're fighting for, we certainly don't know how long we'll be fighting."

Duckworth has been an outspoken critic of Trump's illegal, needless war in Iran since it began. She is one of the Senate Six-the original group of Senators who have been forcing votes on War Powers Resolutions that would cease hostilities in Iran, which Republicans have shamefully blocked now seven times. Ahead of the Senate's vote on her own War Powers resolution last month, Duckworth gave impassioned remarks drawing on her personal experience serving in our nation's last war of choice in the Middle East, imploring Republicans to remember their oaths and vote to help rein in this unhinged President-which they did not.

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