Interior Alaska News

In a recent interview with NBC's Kristen Welker, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, emphasized the need for the Biden administration to adopt a more assertive stance towards Iran and its affiliated groups. This call comes after joint military action by U.S. and British forces against Houthi rebels in Yemen. These Iranian-backed Houthis have been disrupting trade by attacking vessels in the Red Sea.

Senator Sullivan stated, "I think the way in which you avoid a wider war is to show much more toughness with regard to Iranian proxies." He referenced previous actions during the Trump administration that aimed at establishing deterrence, such as the killing of Quds Force leader Soleimani. According to Sullivan, these actions had effectively curbed Iranian aggression at that time.

The senator also pointed out that reinstating sanctions on Iran's oil and gas sector would likely receive bipartisan support from Congress. He noted concerns over what he perceives as an unraveling of deterrence and urged stronger measures to counteract Iran's influence through its proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

During his discussion with Welker, Sullivan remarked that recent strikes against Houthi targets were necessary but overdue. He criticized what he described as appeasement strategies by the current administration and advocated for more aggressive tactics, including re-imposing sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile sector.

Sullivan also mentioned his conversations with President Biden and Jake Sullivan regarding tougher policies towards Iran. He argued for both kinetic actions—such as potential strikes within Iran—and non-kinetic actions like economic sanctions to reduce Iran's capacity to fund terrorist activities.

The senator expressed concern about the potential escalation into a broader conflict but maintained that increased firmness could prevent this outcome. Highlighting past successes in deterring Iranian actions, he stressed that bipartisan support would be available for stronger measures against Iran if pursued by President Biden.