Republican Senator calls for US retaliatory strikes on Iran

Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) called for retaliatory strikes against Iran after Tehran launched drone and cruise missile attacks against Israel on Saturday.

“Iran has begun launching drone attacks on Israel,” Blackburn said on Saturday on the social media platform. X. “@POTUS – We must act quickly and launch aggressive retaliatory strikes on Iran.”

Blackburn's post gives a sense of the pressure President Biden may be under from some Republicans in Congress amid fears of a broader regional war.

Israeli military spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari stated that a “direct attack” from Iran constitutes a “severe and dangerous escalation.”

“Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran,” he said in a video speech released on Saturday. “This is a mission we are determined and ready to achieve.”

The IDF said that Israel was on high alert and that forces were “constantly monitoring” developments. Naval ships and combat aircraft carry out a defensive mission, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Air defenses are also on high alert.

National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said the Iranian attack “will likely unfold over several hours.” The strikes were expected for several days after the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus, Syria, was hit by an Israeli strike on April 1. The attack in early April led to the death of two senior officers in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran.

The National Security Council said President Biden is being updated regularly on the ongoing situation. The White House said midday Saturday that Trump returned to the White House on Saturday in light of the situation with Iran, adding that he would meet with the national security team.