Today, Representative Rick Larsen released the following statement on the U.S. strikes against Iran:

"The history of military conflict in the Middle East is that conflicts are difficult to contain and never seem to end. The Administration’s decision to unilaterally intervene in the Israel-Iran war by bombing Iran’s nuclear program sites will drag the United States deeper into the Middle East without a clear end game.

"The United States must now focus on protecting U.S. forces in the region, coordinating with allies to share intelligence regarding Iranian or proxy retaliation, and seeking a return to diplomacy.

"Diplomacy has always been the best way to impose long-term limits on the Iranian nuclear program, like the multilateral agreement President Obama achieved before Trump unwisely pulled out of it. It remains unclear how much damage the strike did to the Iranian nuclear program infrastructure.

"Congress must reassert its authority and oversight over Trump’s military decisions and not be cowed into approving a bloated Pentagon budget using this attack as a pretext.

"The women and men in the U.S. armed forces deserve our prayers for their continued safety."

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