GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Tensions between the United States and Iran are increasing after a surveillance drone was shot down.
American officials claim that the unarmed U.S. Navy drone was in international airspace today.
While Iran is claiming that the drone was in their airspace on a spying mission.
Following the incident, President Trump tweeted today that Iran made a “very big mistake!”
Some American officials have already come out and supported retaliatory actions against Iran.
U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher shared those very thoughts on the John Muir Show Thursday.
“We should not hesitate to punish Iran,” says Gallagher.
The 8th District Congressman says the actions by Iran are unacceptable, and also, unprovoked.
“We had leading politicians, basically, try and blame the Trump administration for Iran’s hostile activity,” explains Gallagher. “Which I find to be patently absurd.”
He points out that this is the second time in a week that Iran has targeted a U.S. drone.
Earlier, they tried to shoot another drone as it was surveilling last week’s attack on one of two tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
“This is Iran’s bad behavior,” says Gallagher. “This is keeping with decades of terrible behavior by the Iranian regime and they are the ones who are provoking.”
The United States has blamed Iran for attacking the tankers, which they deny.
Following the slew of incidents, Gallagher thinks our nation needs to take some sort of action, one way or another.
“We shouldn’t hesitate to take a proportional response,” he says. “Maybe grounding some of their drones or boats.”
With that being said, he points out that a response has to be tactful.
“We have a lot of ways where we can respond, even with lethal force, that won’t escalate us [to] invading Iran in a sustained ground invasion,” he explains.
The full interview can be heard here.
