Former Vice President Mike Pence praised President Donald Trump's decision to strike Iran, branding the move as a long-overdue show of force that "restored deterrence" and reversed what he characterized as years of failed policy.
"Because of the decisive leadership of President Trump as commander-in-chief, we're now taking the fight directly to the heart of global terrorism," Pence told "Saturday in America."
"I was not surprised by it. I was at his side when he made the decision to strike directly at Iran, taking out Qasem Soleimani in early 2020," he continued.
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"I want to give the president all the credit in the world for making that decision, and I also have to tell you, I just couldn't be more proud of the men and women of our armed forces that did the planning, but most importantly, the people that are executing Operation Epic Fury."
Pence argued the strike marked a departure from what he described as years of failed diplomacy and hesitation under the Biden administration, which he said not only allowed Iran to rebuild its military capabilities and expand its influence across the region, but also emboldened key adversaries like Russia.
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"When we left office… Iran was more isolated economically, diplomatically and militarily than ever before," Pence said, referring to the end of Trump's first term.
"Unfortunately, that was all squandered by the Biden administration that immediately went back to the table begging to restart the Iran nuclear deal," he added.
"Right now, what we're seeing is not only an effort by the United States military, our ally Israel and other allies in the region to degrade the military and security capabilities of Iran so it doesn't threaten our country or even its own people so that they might reclaim their freedom, but also, I think, what the president is doing here with the military… is restoring the deterrence that was squandered during the Biden administration and demonstrating that America remains the arsenal of democracy and the leader of the free world."
