Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio expressed concern on Sunday about the potential for escalation following Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel over the weekend. Vance echoed the sentiments of Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, who also appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and warned of the possibility of further escalation despite the Iranian aggression.
“I certainly think there is a real fear of escalation. Senator Coons is right about that. Part of the reason why we have a fear of escalation, Jake, is because our deterrence is so weak. And why is it so weak? Because the world sees the United States that’s stretched so thin,” Vance remarked during the interview.
J.D. Vance (Credits: New York Post)
The United States assisted Israel in repelling the drone and missile attacks launched by Iran. Israeli officials are convening to discuss their response to the assault, while the U.S. has emphasized that it is not seeking a wider conflict in the region.
Vance emphasized the importance of bolstering the country’s manufacturing capacity to support its troops and closest allies as a means of reestablishing deterrence.
“If we want to reestablish deterrence, the most important thing is not how we or Israel respond to this attack. It’s how we focus on the long term on rebuilding our country,” he stated, dismissing the notion of a confrontational response.
JD Vance (Credits: Rolling Stone)
While refraining from advising Israel on its strategic response, Vance underscored the need for the United States to prevent the situation from escalating into a broader regional conflict and to continue supporting its Israeli allies.
“It’s great to actually see bipartisan leadership from across the aisle saying that we certainly stand with our friends in Israel. I’m not going to pretend to counsel Israel on their strategic response to this,” Vance remarked.
“I think the most important thing for the United States here is to one, prevent this from becoming a broader regional conflict because we’re already stretched very thin, and two, to support our Israeli allies.”
