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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said he is open to additional U.S. airstrikes on Iran after reports of mass casualties among civilian protesters, citing last year’s operation that targeted the regime’s nuclear infrastructure during its war with Israel.
“They are quite literally slaughtering thousands and thousands of them and executing their own people in the street. So for me, I think that’s why I’m gonna remain open to this because… [it] absolutely was the right thing that happened when we struck the nuclear facilities,” Fetterman told “Hannity” Tuesday.
Fetterman’s comments follow reports suggesting thousands, possibly even tens of thousands, of Iranians have been killed and even more have been detained.
The Pennsylvania senator claimed that military action, not sanctions, has been the only effective response to Tehran’s behavior.
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“Sanctions and other things really haven’t worked. What actually really worked with Iran was the strike [on the] nuclear facilities,” he said. “That changed the entire dynamic in the Middle East… and now that helped trigger [unrest] in Iran.”
Fetterman was referring to Operation Midnight Hammer, a U.S. military strike in June 2025 that targeted three Iranian nuclear sites and aimed to significantly damage the theocracy’s nuclear program amid rising regional tensions. U.S. leaders called the mission a major success, while Tehran downplayed its impact.
Fetterman argued that American engagement could be the catalyst needed to “put this thing over the top and break this awful regime,” claiming the Ayatollah’s government was “summarily executing” young people.
“The bodies are stacked up in body bags everywhere,” he said.
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He stressed that further action would not have to involve troops on the ground and rejected a comparison to America’s involvement in Iraq, saying, “This is not a boots-on-the-ground thing.”
“This is not Iraq… This is us standing with those protesters,” he said.
Fetterman hopes widespread protests against the Iranian government could “create a new nation” and stop the Tehran “death spiral.”
“Why wouldn’t we want to be ready to provide the kind of bump to… finally break this regime?”
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