ORONO, Maine — U.S. Sen. Susan Collins supported Israel’s withering strikes on Iran, telling reporters Friday that Iran “cannot be allowed” to develop nuclear weapons.
The Middle East rivals have been at odds for years over Iran’s developing nuclear program. Israel has threatened to attack over what it calls an existential threat, while American presidents have tried different ways to both prevent a war in the region and entice Iran to denuclearize.
That culminated in Israeli strikes overnight Friday that killed three of Iran’s top military officers and raised the prospect of an all-out conflict. It was the most significant attack on Tehran since the country’s 1980s war with Iraq. Air raid sirens were heard across Israel in the afternoon after Iran said it retaliated with missiles.
Collins, a centrist Republican who has continuously expressed support for Israel, issued a statement late Thursday saying she hoped the strikes were successful, citing evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons and already has missiles capable of striking Europe and putting the U.S. in danger.
“I’d obviously prefer to see a peaceful resolution and to see Iran stop pursuing a nuclear weapon,” she told reporters after a Northern Light Health event in Orono. “But the evidence is overwhelming that that is what they are doing at numerous locations, mainly hidden locations underground in their country.”
Former President Barack Obama led a 2015 deal in which Iran agreed to undergo more thorough inspections and dismantle parts of its nuclear program in exchange for relief from billions of dollars in sanctions. Collins and her fellow Republicans opposed the deal, which President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from in 2018.
The Israeli strikes came two days before a top Trump aide was set to go to Oman for nuclear talks with an Iranian minister. The president expressed hope Thursday that the dispute could be resolved without military action.
After the strikes, Trump framed the volatile moment in the Middle East as a possible “second chance” for Iran’s leadership to avoid further destruction “before there is nothing left and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire.” Senior administration officials stressed support for Israel but said the U.S. was not involved in the strikes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
