RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) — KOTA Territory News has heard from two members of South Dakota’s congressional delegation on the situation in Iran.
Sen. Mike Rounds said he didn’t believe President Trump had any immediate plans to put boots on the ground. Meanwhile, Rep. Dusty Johnson urged against large-scale involvement.
President Trump is expected to meet with senior advisers on Tuesday to discuss potential options for a U.S. response to Iranian protests. Trump said Sunday aboard Air Force One that a meeting to negotiate with leaders of Iran was being set up. However, the president cautioned that the U.S. could act before such a meeting.
“We may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting,” Trump said on Sunday.
The president’s comments follow his warnings to Iran that the U.S. would get involved should the Iranian government begin killing protesters.
“If they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved we will be hitting them very hard where it hurts,” Trump told reporters last week.
KOTA Territory News has heard from South Dakota’s congressional delegation on the matter, including Sen. Mike Rounds, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“The Ayatollah there should recognize that his time is limited, and that the people in this popular uprising may very well have an opportunity now to make major changes in the governance there in Iran,” said Rounds. “That would be welcome for us, we should do what we can to support them, but I think the, the President’s gunna be very careful about committing-troops. He’s always been careful about committing troops, I think he still will be in the future.”
Rounds ultimately said that as of Sunday, he didn’t believe the president was in a position to commit troops.
“I don’t think he is at this stage of the game,” said Rounds. “But I think support for those individuals that are trying to change the governance there in Iran, that should be music to our ears.”
Rep. Dusty Johnson said that while he believes there is a place for American strength abroad, he urged against heavy U.S. involvement.
“Whether it’s Venezuela or Iran, I do get uncomfortable with the idea that America would be too involved. Clearly the leadership of Iran right now, they are just, they are theocratic thugs, and I would love to see that regime come down, but that really needs to be an internally driven movement,” Johnson said.
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