Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego rejected potential strikes on Iran, saying such a scenario “would likely consolidate the regime’s grip.”
In a social media publication, Gallego said that “the Iranian regime represses its people,” but a “U.S. war would not liberate them.”
“Supporting freedom abroad does not require bombing another country. Protect our troops. No more forever wars,” he added.
The Iranian regime represses its people. A U.S. war would not liberate them; it would likely consolidate the regime’s grip.
Supporting freedom abroad does not require bombing another country. Protect our troops. No more forever wars.
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) February 20, 2026
The publication comes as a recent report claimed that Trump is considering a limited strike on Iran to force the regime into accepting a nuclear deal.
The Wall Street Journal detailed on Thursday that the attack would target military or government sites but fall short of a full-scale attack that could trigger a major retaliation.
Should that scenario take place and Tehran still refused to comply with Washington’s demands, Trump could order a broader campaign that could potentially seek to overthrow the regime.
The outlet noted that it is not clear how seriously Trump is considering the option, and the latest discussions have focused on larger-scale campaigns.
Trump said he will make a decision regarding whether to strike Iran “over the next probably 10 days.” “We may have to take a step further or we may not,” he said during an address at an event inaugurating the Board of Peace on Thursday.
In this context, a former top commander said that the military assets the U.S. has amassed in the Middle East could wipe out Iran’s power structure in a matter of hours.
The claim was made to the Jerusalem Post by Vice Admiral (Ret.) Bob Harward, the former deputy commander of the US Central Command, which has the Middle East under its area of responsibility.
Harward said President Donald Trump has “illustrated” that he “does what he says,” and “now he has positioned the assets for a military action.” “If he cannot meet the objectives regarding the nuclear and ballistic missile program, he’s willing to go beyond mediation and act,” he added.
Originally published on Latin Times
