Sen. Tom Cotton charged on Tuesday that Iran was purposefully trying to embarrass President Obama and America by seizing two U.S. Navy boats just hours before Obama’s address to the nation, and slammed U.S. officials for trying to downplay the event just before Obama’s remarks.
“I don’t think the timing of this intercept of our two naval vessels in the Persian Gulf is coincidental,” he said on CNN.
“First off, it’s humiliating Barack Obama, and therefore the United States, to have American sailors held hostage during his final State of the Union,” he said.
“Second… the nuclear deal is about to be implemented, maybe as early as this week, in which Iran is going to get over $100 billion to continue its campaign of terror and aggression throughout the region and around the world,” he added.
He also said Obama needed to take a tougher stance against Iran, but instead charged the administration was trying to downplay the event in order to protect the Iran nuclear agreement. Cotton cited Obama administration officials who reportedly said Iran had “no sign of hostile intent” as it took control of the two boats.
“Think about that for a second,” he said. “Senior members of Barack Obama’s administration are apologizing for Iran seizing two U.S. Navy vessels and holding 10 sailors hostage.”
“The White House tonight is a hotbed of cold feet,” he added.
“President Obama and his administration seem more intent on protecting Iran and protecting their nuclear deal than getting our sailors back,” Cotton added later.
Obama administration officials have said Iran has told them the 10 U.S. sailors would soon be released.
But Cotton said the U.S. sailors should be put on the phone immediately with the U.S. government, and if not, Obama should delay implementation of the deal and threaten U.S. military force.
