Senior US Democrat condemns Israel's 'reckless escalation'
His comment came after Israel carried out a "preemptive" strike against Tehran's nuclear and military sites, in defiance of a call from US President Donald Trump to refrain from attacking Iran.
Reed, the top Democrat on the US Senate Armed Services Committee, warned that the "strikes threaten not only the lives of innocent civilians but the stability of the entire Middle East and the safety of American citizens and forces."
"While tensions between Israel and Iran are real and complex, military aggression of this scale is never the answer," he insisted.
"I urge both nations to show immediate restraint, and I call on President Trump and our international partners to press for diplomatic de-escalation before this crisis spirals further out of control."
Other Democrats also voiced alarm.
"This action ordered by Prime Minister Netanyahu appears to deliberately undermine ongoing American diplomatic negotiations about Iran's nuclear program," Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey said on X.
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut agreed.
"This is a disaster of Trump and Netanyahu's own making, and now the region risks spiraling toward a new, deadly conflict," he warned on X.
He also took a political jab at the US president, insisting that Israel's decision to attack "is further evidence of how little respect world powers -- including our own allies -- have for President Trump."
Republican senators responded as well, but with a very different tone.
Tom Cotton of Arkasas insisted on X that "Iran is the world's worst state sponsor of terrorism, has the blood of thousands of Americans on its hands, and is rushing to build not only nuclear weapons, but also missiles that can strike the United States."
"We back Israel to the hilt, all the way."
Ted Cruz of Texas agreed.
"Israel is doing a favor to America right now by taking out Iran's nuclear capacity," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
3 hours ago
- LeMonde
Florida emerges as a model state in the fight against immigration
Florida's eagerness to position itself as the model state in the fight against illegal immigration is embodied by both a symbol and a face. The symbol is the "Alligator Alcatraz," an improvised tent detention camp set up on the tarmac of a former airfield in the middle of the Everglades National Park, whose fate remains tied to hurricanes that regularly sweep through this natural area. The face is that of Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez. This 20-year-old American citizen, born in neighboring Georgia, was arrested on April 17 and placed in detention – until authorities realized their mistake – under a law signed in February by Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, that criminalizes entering the state without legal status. Following an appeal by migrant aid organizations who consider this to be a strictly federal matter, a federal judge blocked its application pending a ruling on the merits. The US Supreme Court ruled in their favor on Wednesday, July 9. Despite this setback for Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, the Sunshine State continues to present itself as the opposite of Democratic-led California, where since June, clashes have erupted between federal immigration authorities (ICE) and residents protesting against aggressive tactics.
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
US senators aim to arm Trump with 'sledgehammer' sanctions against Russia
Trump has indicated he would be open to the sanctions bill as relations with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin grow increasingly frosty. US special envoy Keith Kellogg is due to begin his latest visit to Ukraine while Trump said he would make a "major statement... on Russia" on Monday. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he had majority backing in the Senate for his bill, which was gaining momentum as Washington-led peace efforts in Ukraine have struggled to make headway. The bill would allow Trump "to go after Putin's economy, and all those countries who prop up the Putin war machine," Graham told broadcaster CBS news. Trump, who has repeatedly said he is "disappointed" with Putin as Moscow unleashed deadly barrages of missiles against Kyiv, has hinted he might finally be ready to toughen sanctions. Trump held off for the past six months while he tried to persuade Putin to end the war. But the Republican president's patience appears to be wearing thin, telling reporters during a cabinet meeting at the White House Tuesday that Putin was talking "a lot of bullshit" on Ukraine. Last week, Trump also agreed to send Zelensky more weapons, including through a deal with NATO which would involve the alliance purchasing US weapons to send to Ukraine. On Thursday, Trump appeared to back the bill without detailing whether he would use it to slap sanctions on Moscow. "They're going to pass a very major and very biting sanctions bill, but it's up to the president as to whether or not he wants to exercise it," Trump told broadcaster NBC. Asked during a cabinet meeting about his interest in the bill, Trump said: "I'm looking at it very strongly." "This congressional package that we're looking at would give President Trump the ability to impose 500% tariffs on any country that helps Russia," said Graham, adding that those could include economies that purchase Russian goods like China, India or Brazil. "This is truly a sledgehammer available to President Trump to end this war," said Graham. "Without a doubt, this is exactly the kind of leverage that can bring peace closer and make sure diplomacy is not empty," the Ukrainian leader said about the proposed bill in an X post. Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal were to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday night. Blumenthal told CBS news they would also discuss the legally thorny issue of unlocking frozen Russian assets in Europe and the United States for access by Ukraine.
LeMonde
4 hours ago
- LeMonde
Trump tariffs: The British have not fared so badly after all
On May 8, during a hastily arranged press conference, Donald Trump, in the Oval Office, and Keir Starmer, via video link from a Jaguar Land Rover factory in the Midlands, United Kingdom, hailed a "historic" agreement. It was the first US trade negotiation to be finalized since the American president's "Liberation Day" on April 2. "This historic deal delivers for British business and British workers protecting thousands of British jobs in key sectors including car manufacturing and steel," the British prime minister said, adding, "The UK has no greater ally than the United States." The agreement was nothing like a classic trade treaty, which typically covers a wide range of products and results from years of negotiation. It was essentially about the UK avoiding punitive tariffs on exports of cars, steel and aluminum to the US. The US tariff on British vehicles was set to be reduced from 27.5% to 10% for an annual quota of 100,000 cars shipped to the US (the original rate would apply to any additional imported cars). The 25% tariff on aluminum and steel imports was, for its part, slated for cancellation. However, the basic 10% customs duty would remain in place for all other British manufactured imports, as maintained by Washington. In return, the White House welcomed the opening of new British markets worth $5 billion (about €4.5 billion), including $700 million for ethanol exports and $250 million for agricultural products, such as American beef.
