Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said Thursday on NPR’s “Morning Edition” that the conflict with Iran should be brought to an end and that the United States must return to diplomacy. She argued that a U.S. response to Iranian strikes targeting American allies and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is necessary, and expressed hope that such action would push Tehran back toward negotiations.
Shaheen said it remains unclear what President Donald Trump ultimately intends to do, but she sharply criticized the war itself. “The fact is, this is a war that he never should have undertaken,” she said, adding that the objectives laid out at the start have not been achieved. Shaheen noted that regime change has not occurred, that Iran’s leadership has become more hardline, and that the country still retains a substantial number of ballistic missiles and its nuclear material. She also pointed to Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, saying it has disrupted commercial shipping worldwide. “This is a war that needs to end,” Shaheen said, emphasizing that Trump should pursue an agreement that serves U.S. interests rather than Iran’s.
NPR co-host Michel Martin asked Shaheen what she believed would be necessary to restart negotiations.
Shaheen replied that the United States should respond to Iran’s attacks on allies and shipping in the strait, calling that step an important part of the process. She said she hoped it would signal to Iranian leaders that the time had come to return to the table and negotiate.
