US Senator John Fetterman advocated attacking Iran again if it resumes uranium enrichment, aligning himself with President Donald Trump and cementing his status as a leading foreign policy hawk among Democrats.
Speaking at The Jerusalem Post Conference in Washington DC on Wednesday, Fetterman questioned Iran’s official line that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.
“There is no peaceful purpose for ninety percent enriched uranium,” he said. “If Iran continues, I will consistently support attacking and destroying those facilities.”
The UN nuclear watchdog has not reported such levels of enrichment, though its experts warned this year that Iran’s stockpile of 60 percent material can be further purified to weapons grade with relative ease.
Fetterman’s remarks come months after surprise US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites on June 22, which Trump says “obliterated” its enrichment capability. Trump has vowed to attack Iran again should it revive nuclear activity.
Iranian officials have also confirmed damage to the facilities but the extent of damage has not been independently assessed and some Democratic members of Congress have challenged Trump’s assertion.
Fetterman described the strikes as necessary deterrence against the United States’ arch-foe in the region.
“I was the only Democrat calling to bomb the nuclear facilities as well,” he added.
‘All in’
Elsewhere in his interview, Fetterman reiterated his unyielding support for Israel, especially after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack which he called a defining moment.
“If the shit hits the fan,” he said, “I would go all in with Israel. And I meant it.”
The Pennsylvania senator, who was honored this year by the World Jewish Congress for his support of Israel, has often faced criticism from within the Democratic Party which has been divided over policy on Israel.
He hit back at colleagues who refused to attend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress earlier this year.
“When the prime minister spoke to Congress and people turned their backs on him, that was astonishing,” he said. “That was outlandish.”
