US Senator Ted Cruz blasted several members of his party, including former director of the US National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent and far-Right political commentator Tucker Carlson, for their lack of support for US Operation Epic Fury in a Wednesday interview.
"If any official in the administration disagrees with the national security policies of the president, he or she should resign," Cruz said about the recent resignation of Joe Kent, former director of the US National Counterterrorism Center.
The Texas Republican senator told CBS News that he believes US President Donald Trump's actions against Iran were justified, countering Kent's claims to the contrary.
"For 47 years, Iran has been the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. The Iranian regime has killed nearly one thousand Americans. They've provided over 90% of the funding to Hamas, Hezbollah, to the Houthis, and the Ayatollah, who is no longer with us, not once but twice hired hitmen to try to murder President Trump," Cruz said.
"So President Trump, as commander-in-chief, made the resolute decision to act to protect Americans, to keep Americans safer. Mr. Kent apparently disagreed with that, and so, if that's the case, resignation was the right course of action."
Ted Cruz slams 'dangerous demagogue' Tucker Carlson
Cruz also denounced American political commentator Tucker Carlson, when asked about his thoughts regarding claims that Israel pressured or talked Trump into the Iranian conflict.
"There are a few loudmouthed commentators," he said about Carlson, calling him "the most dangerous demagogue in America."
"That is not where Republicans are, that is not where Conservatives are."
He claimed that Republican voters overwhelmingly stand with Trump on the Iran war, and that he is concerned about efforts to divide the political party.
"Those who are seeking to sow dissension, their ultimate end is to see the Democrats win, to see the Conservative coalition fractured," he claimed, blaming foreign nations such as Qatar, Russia, and China for promoting such dissension.
Primary objective is to collapse Iranian regime, Cruz says
When asked whether the US and Israel could "kill their way to regime change" in Iran, Cruz stated that he believed the primary objective of the war was to collapse the regime.
"If we see this regime fall, if we see Iran have a government that is no longer led by a radical Islamist who wants to murder Americans and is actively murdering Americans, that will be a dramatic national security improvement for the United States."
Cruz also stated that he didn't believe there would be an extended boots-on-the-ground operation in Iran, but he could envision a limited, focused operation similar to the one the United States conducted against the Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, in January.