Austin News

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has issued a statement in response to a recent ballistic missile attack on Israel by Iran. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Cruz labeled the event as an "act of war" and held Iran accountable for the subsequent consequences.

“The Iranian regime has committed an act of war against our Israeli allies. They are solely responsible for what happens next. The government of Israel has the right to respond to this attack, as any country would, and the obligation to protect its citizens. The United States should stand unequivocally with our Israeli allies as they do so," Cruz stated.

Cruz highlighted the history of violence associated with Iran, noting that “for decades the Iranian regime has used terrorist armies to kill hundreds of thousands of people around the world.” He emphasized that over the past year, Iran has targeted Israel through proxy forces.

He criticized global policies that have allowed Iran to operate through these proxies without significant repercussions: “With rare exceptions, the regime has been allowed to hide behind those proxies and appeased even by the countries they attacked.”

According to Cruz, recent actions by Israel against Hezbollah have prompted this direct conflict from Iran. He concluded his statement by calling for an end to policies of appeasement: “The policies of appeasement across the world that enabled and encouraged tonight's attack were never sustainable, and now should be abandoned.”