WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to developing reports about U.S. strikes on Iran-backed targets:

“These military strikes are welcome, but come far too late for the three brave Americans who died and the nearly 50 wounded. Iran and its proxies have tried to kill American soldiers and sink our warships 165 times while the Biden administration congratulates itself for doing the bare minimum. Instead of giving the Ayatollah the bloody nose that he deserves, we continue to give him a slap on the wrist,” Senator Wicker said. “The Biden administration spent nearly a week foolishly telegraphing U.S. intentions to our adversaries, giving them time to relocate and hide. It is past time for our commander-in-chief to adopt a new approach that targets the actual sponsors of terrorism in the region.”

CENTCOM information regarding this series of strikes comes nearly a week after the Tower 22 attack on U.S. forces, which was conducted last Sunday, January 28.