Congressman Fleischmann weighs in on U.S. strike against Iran
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – As headlines around the world focus on the United States’ latest military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, the global stage feels tense — and uncertain.
To bring that conversation closer to home, News 12 sat down with Congressman Chuck Fleischmann to better understand this moment — and how we got here.
The strike, carried out by U.S. forces, targeted three of Iran’s key nuclear enrichment sites.
President Donald Trump addressed the nation shortly after, confirming the action.
“A short time ago, the U.S. military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities,” he said. “Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear armament capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.”
Trump called the strike a “spectacular military success,” stating that Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities had been “completely and totally obliterated.”
Congressman Fleischmann connected the current situation to a long history of conflict, pointing to Iran’s posture since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“Iran, because of its current regime, has been decidedly anti-American and anti-Israel,” he said. “They’ve embarked on a program to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels with the goal of making a nuclear bomb. And they would ultimately want to, sadly, deliver that against Israel and/or the United States. And therein lies the big problem.”
According to Fleischmann, the strike followed months of failed diplomatic efforts.
“After months of negotiations, after months of pleas to the Iranian regime — ‘Do not develop a nuclear weapon’ — they refused,” he said.
He even compared the threat to rhetoric seen in the lead-up to World War II.
“Iran was essentially saying what Adolf Hitler said in the 1930s. Hitler was hellbent on destroying the Jewish people. He failed, thank God, but not before killing six million innocent Jews. Iran said they would use a nuclear weapon to destroy Israel and the Jewish people. That now will never happen.”
Fleischmann believes the strike not only neutralized a critical threat but also positioned the United States as a leader in global security.
“Iran was very sly and crafty about their nuclear facilities — building them underground where they believed they were impervious to attack,” he explained. “Israel didn’t have the weaponry to destroy those sites, but the United States did. We’ve taken away Iran’s ability to build a nuclear weapon — at least for now.”
He emphasized that the world is safer in the aftermath of the strike.
“Whether you’re a friend or a foe of the United States, we know now the world is a safer place,” he said. “Iran cannot enter that ‘nuclear club’ — the ten or so nations with the ability to build, maintain, and deliver a nuclear weapon.”
As tensions continue to rise globally, Fleischmann says it’s important that the U.S. remains alert and unified — prepared to respond to threats with both strength and clarity.
