GOP Rep.: American Airpower Obliterated Iran's Nuclear Ambitions—Rightfully So
When intelligence revealed Iran was weeks away from completing a nuclear weapon, our commander in chief acted decisively, and he called upon airpower to deliver strategic results. Operation Midnight Hammer decimated Iran's nuclear facilities, eliminating this imminent threat and sending an unmistakable message: America will secure peace through strength.
Representative August Pfluger (R-Texas) speaks during a hearing on March 10, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Representative August Pfluger (R-Texas) speaks during a hearing on March 10, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Ting Shen-Pool/Getty Images
As a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with over two decades of service in our nation's military, I've flown combat missions against the very terrorists funded and directed by the Iranian regime. I've led operations in the Middle East, shaped strategy from the Pentagon, and stood alongside our allies in NATO's air command and control center. I've seen firsthand the threat Iran poses, not just to Israel or the region, but to every American in uniform.
President Trump is right: Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon. That is not negotiable. Tehran's relentless pursuit of nuclear capabilities, combined with its sponsorship of terrorism, makes it the most dangerous regime on the planet. Many presidents attempted to end Iran's nuclear program, but none were successful until President Trump unleashed America's military might to finish what others couldn't.
I will always remember the Americans who never made it home because of Iranian proxies. And I know that strength—not appeasement—is the only language Iran understands. That's why Congress must act with the same fortitude.
The Republican Study Committee's Maximum Pressure initiative includes 10 bills designed to cut off Tehran's remaining funding, freeze their assets, isolate their regime, and protect U.S. interests. My Iran Waiver Rescissions Act freezes all Iranian-sanctioned assets and is a key component of this effort. Other critical legislation in this package—including the Maximum Pressure Act—sanctions terrorist groups, blocks sanctions relief until Iran ends terror support, counters Hezbollah's influence in Latin America, supports Iraqi independence from Iran, and urges our European allies to restore multilateral sanctions. Together, these measures represent the most comprehensive legislative response to Iranian aggression in decades.
Swift congressional action is not merely advisable—it is essential. The long-term threat posed by Iran to our forces is real and ongoing.
With approximately 40,000 American servicemembers deployed across the Middle East, the stakes could not be higher. I was one of them from 2016 to 2017 when I led combat operations against ISIS. In January 2024, an Iranian backed group used a drone to kill three American soldiers and injure over 40 others at a base in Jordan. Since October 2023, our forces have been attacked hundreds of times in the Middle East. In the days ahead we must stay vigilant and ensure that any attack against U.S. forces will unleash the full might of the U.S. military.
As chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, I led a hearing following the October 7 Hamas attacks. We know the Iranian regime tried to exploit weaknesses on our southern border. President Trump hardened the southern border, but four years of weak Joe Biden policies left us vulnerable. The One Big Beautiful Bill makes key enhancements at the border and mitigates vulnerabilities that terrorists like Iranian backed groups could exploit.
This understanding of Iran's multi-faceted threat comes from decades of experience. While advising the Air Force chief of staff in the Pentagon during escalating tensions with adversary nations, I prepared leadership for meetings on the complexity of executing an air campaign within contested airspace. I served on President Trump's National Security Council coordinating defense policy and my war planning experience is shaped by over 300 hours of combat flight time. The flawlessly executed airstrikes that obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend are historic and demonstrate the unmatched power of our United States Air Force (USAF).
The threat environment is more complex than we've ever seen. The capabilities of our adversaries are increasing and that is why we must keep pace with our own weapons systems. President Trump was absolutely right to acquire the F-47 fighter, after Biden cancelled it. Airpower offers the strength and deterrence that President Trump needs and we should double our spending on USAF programs to remain strong against China and other adversaries.
I stand with our ally Israel and call on my colleagues in Congress to pass the Republican Study Committee's Maximum Pressure initiative bills to hold Iran accountable. My experience spans from the cockpit to the Pentagon, from the battlefield to the halls of Congress. The lesson is clear: this is not the time for weakness. This is the time for peace through strength, backed by American resolve and unrelenting firepower.
August Pfluger represents Texas's 11th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. He is the chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) and sits on the House Committee on Energy & Commerce.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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Concerns linger despite Trump extending a pause in sharp hikes in import duties for 90 days, beginning Monday, following a 90-day pause that began in May. AP reports: Read more here. China's economy lagged in July as factory output and retails sales slowed and house prices dropped, according to data released on Friday. President Trump's tariffs have added to uncertainty on exports and are looming over the world's second-largest economy. Concerns linger despite Trump extending a pause in sharp hikes in import duties for 90 days, beginning Monday, following a 90-day pause that began in May. AP reports: Read more here. Taiwan lifts 2025 growth forecast, defying US tariff worries Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. These tariffs are bananas An interesting spot from this week's inflation data: Prices for the reliable, potassium-heavy banana have jumped to their highest price ever recorded. Banana prices peaked around $0.64 per pound in the post-COVID inflation wave and then went on a slow downward trajectory. That is, until April 2025, when President Trump announced his first wave of sweeping tariffs. Prices are now hovering near $0.66 per pound. As the Yale Budget Lab chief Ernie Tedeschi noted on X, the average tariff rate on banana imports went from virtually nothing to very much something as Trump imposed tariffs on most US trading partners. That's nuts! An interesting spot from this week's inflation data: Prices for the reliable, potassium-heavy banana have jumped to their highest price ever recorded. Banana prices peaked around $0.64 per pound in the post-COVID inflation wave and then went on a slow downward trajectory. That is, until April 2025, when President Trump announced his first wave of sweeping tariffs. Prices are now hovering near $0.66 per pound. As the Yale Budget Lab chief Ernie Tedeschi noted on X, the average tariff rate on banana imports went from virtually nothing to very much something as Trump imposed tariffs on most US trading partners. That's nuts! Tapestry forecasts annual profit below estimates on tariff pain Tapestry (TPR) stock fell 8% before the bell on Thursday after the Coach handbag maker forecast annual profit below estimates. The company cited higher costs due to tariffs that have hit its margins. Reuters reports: Read more here. Tapestry (TPR) stock fell 8% before the bell on Thursday after the Coach handbag maker forecast annual profit below estimates. The company cited higher costs due to tariffs that have hit its margins. Reuters reports: Read more here. Tariff confusion drives record volume at Los Angeles Port (Bloomberg) — The Port of Los Angeles said it handled the highest container volume in its 117-year history last month, as uncertainty over President Donald Trump's tariffs drives shippers to front-load cargoes. Already the busiest port in the country, LA moved more than 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in July, an 8.5% increase from a year ago, the operator said on Wednesday. That includes containers entering and exiting its terminals, with loaded imports rising by a similar percentage to nearly 544,000 TEUs. The total volume handled was 14.2% higher than in June. Read more here. (Bloomberg) — The Port of Los Angeles said it handled the highest container volume in its 117-year history last month, as uncertainty over President Donald Trump's tariffs drives shippers to front-load cargoes. Already the busiest port in the country, LA moved more than 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in July, an 8.5% increase from a year ago, the operator said on Wednesday. That includes containers entering and exiting its terminals, with loaded imports rising by a similar percentage to nearly 544,000 TEUs. The total volume handled was 14.2% higher than in June. Read more here. Pharma tariffs are likely weeks away, Reuters reports US tariffs on pharmaceutical imports are coming but not imminent, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources. Trump has previously warned duties on the drug industry could reach as much as 250%. Reuters reports: Read more here. US tariffs on pharmaceutical imports are coming but not imminent, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources. Trump has previously warned duties on the drug industry could reach as much as 250%. Reuters reports: Read more here. 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- Buzz Feed
Trump-Putin Meeting Document Leak Sparks Backlash
Add this to the list of embarrassingly bad national security errors the Trump administration has made — secret documents with details of Donald Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin were reportedly found in a public hotel printer. If you haven't heard, Trump and Putin met last Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss ending the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Trump described the meeting as "extremely productive," but no ceasefire was confirmed. According to NPR, 8 U.S. State Department pages with "previously undisclosed and potentially sensitive details" appeared to be "accidentally" left behind in the business center of a hotel located 20 minutes from where the official Trump-Putin meeting took place. The documents, found by hotel guests, reportedly included information about "precise locations," "meeting times of the summit," and "phone numbers of US employees." When questioned about the incident, White House Press Deputy Secretary Anna Kelly told reporters that the documents found were a "multi-page lunch menu." "It's hilarious that NPR is publishing a multi-page lunch menu and calling it a 'security breach,'" Kelly said in a quote to News Nation. While some of the pages reportedly described details of a luncheon, others included a seating chart for the summit, room names where meetings would take place, and details about an "American Bald Eagle Statue" that Trump was set to gift Putin. This, of course, isn't the Trump administration's first national security incident, as we all remember "signal-gate." People have a lot of opinions, so let's take a look at what they're saying: What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
