Senator John Kennedy, R-LA, expressed on Sunday that President Trump's approach of pausing daily strikes against Iran is not yielding the desired results and called for a more aggressive strategy to pressure Tehran. Kennedy stated that the administration should ramp up pressure rather than temporarily halt operations to facilitate negotiations.
"The president likes the daily attacks. He believes that sometimes you have to kill a few chickens to scare the monkeys," Kennedy said on CBS News' "Meet the Press," referencing a Chinese idiom. "I don’t think that’s going to work with the Iranian leadership. These people are more than mildly insane. It’s like dealing with son of Sam or Charles Manson."
According to Kennedy, the U.S. had been conducting daily bombings of Iranian military sites for nearly two weeks prior to President Trump's decision to pause these actions. This pause came after the breakdown of a memorandum of understanding earlier in the month, following attacks attributed to Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes primarily targeted Iranian military installations that posed a threat to the strait. Iran retaliated with attacks on U.S. military bases in the region, which resulted in the deaths of four American soldiers.
President Trump had ordered a halt to the airstrikes to prioritize diplomatic efforts, but has also warned of potential all-out war if Iran does not comply with his demands. Kennedy, however, argued that diplomacy should not be the primary focus while Iran maintains its "terror infrastructure."
"I think we ought to tighten the sanctions on the sale of Iranian oil. I think we ought to continue the blockade and starve them out," Kennedy suggested. "I don’t think we ought to just cut and run. If we can stand the pain of the rising cost of energy, we need to stay the course, at least for a few more months."
Oil prices had surged to over $100 per barrel following Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz and threats by Houthi proxies in the Red Sea, both critical shipping lanes for global crude supply. Prices reportedly fell below $97 per barrel after Trump ended the daily strikes and as reports emerged of Pakistan's efforts to restart peace talks between Washington and Tehran.
The scope of current diplomatic talks remains uncertain, particularly after Iran reportedly rejected a cease-fire offer presented by Iraq's prime minister on behalf of President Trump.