As initial reports of Iran’s ballistic missile strikes in Israel began to surface, Republicans in Congress immediately called for Israel to strike back — with several urging the United States to involve itself more directly.
Iran launched an estimated 180 “projectiles” toward Israel after reportedly warning “international parties” about the size and timing of its planned attack. The White House publicly warned the attack was imminent on Tuesday morning in a statement and said it was “actively supporting defensive preparations.”
Sen. Marco Rubio called for a “maximum pressure campaign against Iran.”
In a post on X, Rubio said that the attack was “Iran’s official entrance into the war in Israel and Gaza.”
Many congressional Republicans have long advocated for a U.S. strike in Iran. In January, Sen. Lindsey Graham called on the Biden administration to strike “targets of significance inside Iran” after a drone attack in Jordan. On Tuesday, Graham again said the U.S. needed to retaliate.
“This missile attack against Israel should be the breaking point,” Graham posted on X, saying that the Biden administration should “coordinate an overwhelming response with Israel, starting with Iran’s ability to refine oil.”
Graham went further in a statement, saying Congress should reconvene to pass further assistance to Israel.
Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said there were no injuries following Iran’s attack.
Iran said the strikes were retaliation for Israel’s most recent strikes in southern Lebanon and Tehran, Iran, killing Hezbollah and Hamas leaders as well as an official in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“As a response to the killing of Ismael Haniyeh, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Abbas Nilforoushan, we targeted the heart of the Zionist occupying entity,” the IRGC said on Telegram.
Rep. Tim Burchett also suggested targeting Iran’s natural gas and oil resources. “It’s time to start playing hardball,” Burchett posted on X after the attack. “We need to cut off their resources and make sure they don’t come out of this unscathed.”
The U.S. has supported Israel’s war efforts, providing arms and military aid. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement that “America’s commitment to the safety and security of Israel is ironclad and unbreakable.”
A direct attack would end any path for the administration’s desired de-escalation in the region. Joe Biden and much of his cabinet have continually said that they would only take a defensive posture unless U.S. personnel were targeted. A large U.S. military presence sitting right off the coast in the Mediterranean was meant “to act as a deterrent.”
But it isn’t just Republicans escalating their rhetoric.
“Iran has made a mistake,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat, posted. “It has put its nuclear facilities on the board as fair game.”
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John T. Seward is a reporter at NOTUS and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.