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Floor Speech

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I want to make some remarks about Iran. I do it in light of the fact that diplomacy ought to be used before war, and I am well aware of the hard work of our Vice President and other people on his team in Pakistan last week--working almost 24 hours--to reach an agreement. It was not reached. Some reports late last night and early this morning indicate that maybe Iran is willing to sit down and talk again, so in light of that and what we know and what we hope happens, I make these remarks.

On February 28, 2026, the United States began combat operations in Iran--action taken to protect U.S. Americans by preventing Iran from ever having a nuclear weapon. That is not only to protect the United States, but that weapon could be used anyplace on this globe, and we don't want that to happen. But the most important thing is the President, as Commander in Chief, is exercising his responsibilities, and the No. 1 responsibility that he has and our Nation has is to protect the American people.

Now, these operations have demonstrated the unmatched strength, precision, and professionalism of the U.S. military. America is very fortunate to have the strongest military in the world, capable of not only projecting power but of doing so with discipline, coordination, and a clear sense of mission.

I want to express my gratitude and pride in the men and women in uniform who are carrying out this mission and to let the families of SGT Declan Coady, a young man from West Des Moines, and MAJ Jeffrey O'Brien, a man from Indianola, IA--who both paid the ultimate price to protect us--know that we think about their families at this time. But it also is a reminder--these men who lost their lives as well as people who are still fighting--that the courage, skill, and commitment to protecting our Nation reflect the very best of our men and women in uniform.

What we have known for a long period of time is that Iran has used their money to finance terrorism around the world and even in the United States, as has been demonstrated by three or four actions since the war happened. They are the No. 1 supporter of terrorism financially, and they use their missiles to blackmail that part of the globe. But what we have learned is they have more capability than just effecting blackmail in the Middle East because we have learned that they have longer range missiles that could reach Berlin, Paris, and London. And when is the next step that those missiles could reach the United States?

So under the leadership of President Trump, the United States is taking decisive action to provide safety and certainty for the American people. More than 85 percent of Iran's defense industrial base has been destroyed, 150 warships have been destroyed, and 70 percent of Iran's facilities and ground control stations have been destroyed or degraded. In total, over 13,000 targets have been struck, and over 1,000 attack drones and 700 ballistic missiles have been intercepted.

Preventing war through diplomacy is very important, but when diplomacy doesn't work, we have seen in this instance that, in total, over 13,000 targets have been struck and over 1,000 attack drones and 700 ballistic missiles have been intercepted.

Preventing Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon isn't just a policy objective; it is a national security priority. I am encouraged that military operations have been successful in advancing this goal and that Iran has now agreed to a cease-fire as this administration continues to negotiate a broader peace agreement.

This success sends a clear signal: The United States will act when its security is at stake, and we will do so with strength and with resolve. The progress made so far underscores both the capability of our military and the importance of sustained leadership by President Trump as our Commander in Chief. I stand firmly behind our servicemembers and remain committed to ensuring that Iran never poses a nuclear threat to the United States.

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