While the country awaits a decision from President Donald Trump's administration over the extent of U.S. involvement in the conflict between Israel and Iran, Alabama's federal lawmakers continue to back Trump's insistence that Iran either has or is inches away from building a nuclear weapon.
Trump's rhetoric on the matter has been hard to decipher. While U.S. government officials have denied assisting Israel in the attack or plans, Trump has issued conflicting statements and called for the "unconditional surrender" of Iran.
The American and Israeli defense of Israel's strike has been the ubiquitous chant that Iran is actively pursuing a nuclear weapon, despite recent reports from National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard which stated the intelligence community "continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme leader Khomeini has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003."
Trump responded to Gabbard's report with a terse, "I don't care what she said," a sentiment seemingly shared by the vast majority of Congress.
In a Friday interview with CBS 42, U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) claimed that he had seen reports that Iran could have up to 10 nuclear weapons, or the capability to make them swiftly.
"At this point, we have these reports that they could have up to 10, or are capable of making up to 10, and that's the information we have," Aderholt said. "I mean, we don't know anything definite. But the indications are that they're pretty close, and it's too close for comfort, as they say."
"Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism," he continued. "They give a whole new perspective to nuclear weapons because I believe they are the type of regime that would use them, even to their own destruction. Unlike some other countries that we deal with, they know that if they use nuclear weapons, we would use nuclear weapons. And, therefore, it would be destruction for everyone. I firmly believe that some of the individuals in Iran would not care that they were destroyed as long as they could destroy Israel and destroy the United States."
When asked about direct U.S. intervention, specifically the U.S. dropping a so-called bunker buster to take out Iran's Fordo Nuclear Facility, Aderholt echoed the sentiment of the majority of Republicans in Congress, stating he would back whatever decision Trump made.
"I support the president's position; it's up to him," he said. "It's up to him right now, but if that kept Iran from having a nuclear weapon, I could support that."
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