Senator says we’re not close to war with Iran

As tensions mount between Iran and the U.S. and shipments of oil through the Strait of Hormuz are at risk, how close to war are we?

“We are not close to war with Iran,” professed Oklahoma U.S. Sen. James Lankford in an interview with OK Energy Today. “Iran has always been hostile.”

He pointed to the 1979 Iranian revolution that led to the country holding 44 Americans including one Oklahoman as hostages and kept them 444 days.

“This administration like multiple administrations back to Jimmy Carter had problems with Iran because Iran is a problem,” added the Republican Senator.

He said the challenge for President Trump comes as he is trying to pull the U.S. out of a war in Afghanistan, pulling us out of a war in Iraq and pulling us out of a war in Syria is to not get us into a war in Iran.

“I don’t see any interest in getting us into a war but we have to be able to try and protect American interests and our allies.”

The President moved last week to increase economic sanctions on Iran and Sen. Lankford called it the right thing to do.

“I think it’s entirely appropriate to add additional diplomatic pressure and to add additional sanctions to Iran. Our problem isn’t with the Iranian people. It is with a regime that has abused their own people.”

Listen to the entire interview by Jerry Bohnen.