Congressional Republican leaders pressure the White House to toughen its stance against Iran after Israel attack: 'It is not enough to issue statements'

Iran launched an air strike against Israel, which consisted of launching "dozens" of missiles against the Jewish state. This was reported by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), whose spokesman, Daniel Hagari, anticipated that there would be "consequences." Hours later, Republican leaders in Congress took direct aim at the Biden-Harris administration over the situation in the Middle East and pressed for a tougher relationship with Iran.

As reported by the AFP, the White House ordered U.S. forces to assist Israel by shooting down Iranian missiles.

"This morning, the vice president and I convened our national security team to discuss Iranian plans to launch an imminent missile attack against Israel. We discussed how the United States is prepared to help Israel defend against these attacks, and protect American personnel in the region," President Joe Biden said on his X account.

Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor, said the following at a press conference: "We are proud of the actions that we've taken alongside Israel to protect and defend Israel. We have made clear that there will be consequences—severe consequences—for this attack, and we will work with Israel to make that the case."

Not content with Sullivan's words, Republican leaders in Congress criticized the Biden-Harris administration for its handling of the situation in the Middle East and called for a tough response against Iran.

"It's not enough to issue statements"

One of the first to speak out on the matter was Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The Republican majority leader in the Senate spoke through a statement in which he encouraged the White House to make good on its threats.

“The Biden Administration has repeatedly threatened Iran with ‘severe consequences’ for its campaign of terror against Israel and the United States, but failed to impose them. It has pledged ‘ironclad’ support for Israel, only to delay and withhold the security assistance that would give this pledge any weight. It is not enough to issue statements," the Kentucky Republican noted.

He was joined by Mike Johnson, speaker of the House of Representatives. "We need a maximum pressure campaign on Iran and its terror proxies. President Biden needs to make clear that there will be decisive economic and potential military ramifications for these actions," he said.

Mike McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that arms transfers to Israel need to be accelerated to strengthen it in the face of a situation of maximum tension in the Middle East.

"We need to expedite arms transfers to Israel that this administration has delayed for months, including 2,000-pound bombs, to ensure Israel has all the tools to deter these threats. The administration also needs to utilize all the sanctions authorities we have … to cut off resources to Iran and its proxies," he expressed.