Rep. Ruben Gallego Statement Following House Iran Briefing
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) joined members of the House of Representatives for an intelligence briefing on escalating tensions with Iran.
Rep. Gallego released the following statement:
"Today I received my second intelligence briefing on Iran in the past week, along with many of my House colleagues.
"Much like the first briefing on the threat that I received on Friday, nothing in the intelligence that I received today indicates that the Administration would be justified in starting a war with Iran.
"I strongly caution my colleagues in Congress to exercise restraint and look at this information with a discerning eye. The current military threat from Iran is real, but it is being irresponsibly exaggerated by people like John Bolton, Senator Cotton, and Senator Graham in order to advance their policy goal of a military confrontation.
"War with Iran is not in our best interests, and force is not our only option. Instead, we should respond proportionately to any and all Iranian threats, as we do on a government-wide basis every single day. We should isolate Iran and punish its leaders for their transgressions, working with allies and partners to keep sanctions tight and diplomatic pressure high.
"We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past by blindly accepting a false narrative pushed by men who have long lobbied publicly and privately for military escalation against Iran. Escalation in this scenario would be a grave mistake."
Rep. Gallego is a Marine Corps combat veteran who served in Iraq. He sits on the House Armed Services Committee.