GOP Lawmaker: Trump Has 'Not a Lot of Options' to End Iran War

Republican Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio said Sunday that President Trump has “not a lot of options” in the ongoing war with Iran, a candid acknowledgment of challenges after more than five months of conflict. Turner appeared on ABC News alongside Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who called for an immediate end to what he described as a “senseless war.”

Bipartisan Frustration on Capitol Hill

Turner praised the recent NATO summit declaration that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon, but conceded the administration faced mounting difficulties: “Now we’re in this situation where the administration doesn’t have a whole lot of options,” he said, citing “bipartisan frustration” with how the war is being prosecuted.

Van Hollen was blunt: “We should never have gotten into this senseless war, and we should end it now.” He argued that halting offensive operations would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, reducing oil prices currently above $100 per barrel.

Four Troops Killed, Pentagon Seeks $67 Billion More

Four American service members were killed in Iranian attacks in the past week alone. The Pentagon is seeking $67 billion in supplemental war funding on top of its record $1.5 trillion budget request, partly because US interceptor missiles have been depleted. Van Hollen said he would “not vote for one more penny for this senseless war.”

The US military has not publicized any Iran strikes for the past two nights, after nearly two consecutive weeks of nightly attacks following the collapse of a June ceasefire on July 7.