The Biden administration has been working under “misconceptions” about Israel and the threat posed by Iran, making it even harder for Israel to defend itself, House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner said on Sunday.
“The United States has rightly assisted Israel, in defending against the missile attacks from Iran,” the Ohio Republican told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo.
Still, despite the hundreds of missiles Iran has aimed at Israel, the administration has continued to act as if the attacks “didn’t happen” since “those missiles didn’t hit their intended targets,” said Turner.
As a result, the administration has attempted to restrain Israel’s response, making it more challenging moving forward, he added.
“Israel rightly is defending itself,” said Turner. “It is hitting military targets. It is trying to diminsh Iran’s overall capabilities to hit and affect Israel, and Iran’s capabilities are being diminished as Israel takes the conflict to it.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s attacks persist, yet the Biden administration continues to view the situation as “merely a regional conflict” rather than an extension of Iran’s efforts to challenge Israel’s right to exist, Turner said.
The congressman also noted that the FBI is investigating the recent leak of Israel’s plans for an Iran attack as a “criminal act of espionage.”
“It certainly has an impact on the United States itself,” he said. “We have service members in the area and also in Israel.”
When asked if Israel wants former President Donald Trump to win the election, Turner responded that for U.S. allies to operate without the Biden administration’s constraints, the White House must recognize the coordination between Iran, China, and Russia as part of an “axis of evil.”
” What happens with Iran’s oil fields fuels China’s economy,” he said. “What happens in Iran’s missile field shows up on the battlefields in Ukraine. All of this needs to be addressed as if it’s not a regional conflict but a coordinated conflict.”
Turner agreed with Trump’s claim that the current chaos in the Middle East and Europe would not be occurring if he were president.
“The day he’s elected and raises his hand, people are going to understand that there are consequences to adversaries,” he said. That’s how you end these — with consequences, with people paying a price for attacking and killing our allies.”
Meanwhile, Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris has not fully endorsed Biden’s policy on Israel, which offers only “lukewarm support” for Israel’s right to defend itself, yet still backs Israel overall, Turner said.
“The Biden administration really had an opportunity to step up to the plate here,” he said. “Iran not only is attacking Israel but they have openly indicated they want to kill former President Trump, now a candidate for president again.
“Biden indicated this would be an act of war. This would be an opportunity to take consequences to Iran for them threatening President Trump and Israel, but instead, Biden heeds caution.”
