Thomas Massie Warns Trump's Iran Threat is About Oil' and Israel'

"Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) warned President Donald Trump's threat to intervene against Iran if the regime deploys violence against protesters isn't about freedom of speech but about the dollar, oil, and Israel. The rebuke came hours after Trump warned Tehran via Truth Social on Friday that the United States was locked and loaded and ready to go should Iranian authorities violently suppress widening anti-government demonstrations which started Sunday."

"Massie, however, rejected the framing of the pretext outright in a post to X, instead saying that the president's threat was about oil. He also cautioned Trump that any military action would require Congressional authorization while suggesting he concentrate on problems at home. 1) We have problems at home and shouldn't be wasting military resources on another country's internal affairs. 2) Military strikes on Iran require Congressional authorization. 3) This threat isn't about freedom of speech in Iran; it's about the dollar, oil, and Israel."

"Massie opposed Trump's strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last year arguing that Iran posed no imminent threat. Iran is the fourth largest oil producer in OPEC. Tehran responded angrily to Trump's language, threatening US troops in the region should strikes take place and claiming without further evidence that the president's rhetoric was proof that domestic demonstrations were the result of foreign influence."

President Donald Trump warned via Truth Social that the United States was 'locked and loaded' and ready to act if Iranian authorities violently suppressed widening anti-government demonstrations. Human rights monitors report at least 29 demonstrators detained, and Iranian media reported three protesters killed. Rep. Thomas Massie criticized the threat, saying it is about the dollar, oil, and Israel rather than freedom of speech, and cautioned that military action would require Congressional authorization while urging focus on domestic problems. Massie previously opposed strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, saying Iran posed no imminent threat. Tehran condemned Trump's rhetoric, threatened US troops in the region, and suggested the protests reflected foreign influence.

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