Republican senators claim Iran military capabilities significantly degraded
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
PALM BEACH, FLA. – A week after US and Israeli attacks on Iran, two Republican senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee said the military operation “disrupted” Tehran’s ability to respond.
But in exclusive interviews with Fox News Digital, Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Ted Budd of North Carolina emphasized that the conflict would not lead to US involvement in “endless wars” in the unstable Middle East.
“Our military is doing a great job,” Scott said. Pointing to Iran, he said: “They want to destroy America. We must stop them.”
“We have significantly weakened Iran’s ability to respond to us… their capacity has been diminished. We have had great success,” Budd emphasized.
Budd and Scott were interviewed while attending an economic conference in Florida hosted by the Club for Growth, an influential and politically powerful conservative group calling for fiscal responsibility.
Calling for “unconditional surrender” to Iran, President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Tehran would be “hit very hard” and warned that the United States was considering “regions and groups” that it had not previously targeted.
Over the past week, “Operation Epic Rage” Its scope has expanded as Iran retaliates against a growing number of countries in the region. This week, the Republican-controlled House and Senate, in separate votes almost entirely along party lines, rejected Democratic moves to restrict the president’s ability to direct the war.
WHAT COULD HAPPEN NEXT IN ATTACKS ON IRAN?
Iran should have a role in choosing its next leader, the president said in an interview with Axios on Thursday. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the first attacks against Iran a week ago.
And there are concerns among many on the right that attacks on Iran could lead to prolonged American military involvement in the region; Trump has repeatedly campaigned against it in his three runs for president.
A week has passed since the United States and Israel launched a military attack on Iran. (Contributor/Getty Images)
“Trump doesn’t want to be in wars forever. Every time I talk to him, he doesn’t want that,” Scott said. “But I think we want to make sure we don’t have another Ayatollah chanting Death to America, death to our allies and trying to destroy us.”
“We’re not ready for forever wars. We want to get in, get this done, get out and ensure peace for our country and the rest of the region,” Budd added.
Fox News’ latest national poll showed American voters are divided over U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, even though a majority view the country as a security risk.
According to the survey conducted between February 28 and March 2, 61 percent of respondents see Iran as a danger to the United States. However, this concern does not mean that the majority supports the current US military action; 50 percent approve, 50 percent oppose.
Support for the attacks was lower in other news organizations’ national polls.
But the Fox News poll and other surveys showed widespread support among Republicans.
“Trump is doing the right thing. He’s saving American lives by making sure Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapon or a ballistic missile. So he’s doing the right thing,” Scott emphasized.
Budd added: “I’m so excited [about] “What President Trump is doing… The goal is the prosperity and security of America, and that’s what President Trump wants.”
Since the beginning of the war, oil prices have skyrocketed, which immediately caused gasoline costs to rise across America. That’s a major concern for Republicans, who aim to keep control of the House and Senate majorities in this year’s midterm elections.
A driver refuels a vehicle at a Wawa gas station in Media, Pa., on Monday, March 2, 2026. Oil and gas prices rose last week amid attacks on Iran. (Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
“I hope this will all be short-term. I hope the destruction of the Iranian army will occur quickly and oil prices will fall,” Scott said.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Budd acknowledged that “we will experience some short-term disruptions.”
However, the senator said, “very soon our gas prices will be much cheaper than ever. We were already on this path. President Trump is for stability. He is for oil prices.” He was optimistic about it.
