Nikki Haley joined the list of Republicans who called on Joe Biden to urgently retaliate against Iran for the attacks on U.S. military bases in Jordan. The presidential candidate spoke of "selective attacks" to eliminate Iranian leaders who played a role in last weekend's episodes.
The former South Carolina governor spoke to Fox News on Monday about the three slain soldiers and recommended a path forward for the president.
"What they do care about is when you touch their money or you touch their leadership"
"He needs to go after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, he needs to go after the leadership there, those that are making the decisions. That's what leaves them flat-footed," she said, appealing to her experience as ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump Administration.
"They don't necessarily care if you take out all of their equipment and their weapons, they don't care if you take out any of the proxy fighters because they'll just add new ones to it. What they do care about is when you touch their money or you touch their leadership. That's what gets Iran's attention," she added.
Nikki Haley calls for strikes on Iran’s resources and when asked if it would risk escalating a war, she responds:
“It’s not starting war, it’s actually preventing war”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 29, 2024
As of January 2024, U.S. troops have been targeted more than 160 times in Iraq, Syria and Jordan by groups backed by Iran, a country Haley again took aim at as the interview progressed. Specifically, she outlined a three-step plan to go against the regime: strengthen sanctions, attack production sites and eliminate decision-makers.
"You've got to take away the money from Iran because that takes away the money from the proxies. That's the first thing they need to do. The second thing they need to do is to go and take out any of the production sites that are allowing them to do this in Iraq and Syria that they're coming from. And then the third thing is you have to figure out which Iranian leaders are making the decisions and you take them out," she concluded.
The Republican is the only one left in the presidential primaries against former President Trump. After finishing third in Iowa and second in New Hampshire, she hopes to do a decent job in South Carolina to excite her base and donors ahead of Super Tuesday.
What happened in Jordan?
Central Command announced Sunday that three U.S. soldiers were killed following a drone attack on a military base in Jordan. They were joined by another 25 wounded soldiers who were hit during the aggression, which came from terrorist groups supported by Iran, causing many Republicans in Congress to pressure Joe Biden to respond.
The White House reacted in a statement released the same day, in which it promised to honor the lives of the fallen soldiers.
"The three American service members we lost were patriots in the highest sense. And their ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten by our nation. Together, we will keep the sacred obligation we bear to their families. We will strive to be worthy of their honor and valor. We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism. And have no doubt — we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing," the letter stated.
