Rick Scott: Victory In Iran, Nothing Less

There is an old quote often attributed to Ernest Hemingway: “Once we have a war there is only one thing to do. It must be won. For defeat brings worse things than any that can ever happen in war.”

This is true of our conflict in Iran. We must win. Nothing less than victory is an option for America. We need to embrace the Apollo 13 mindset: “Failure is not an option.” Talks continue for when and how this conflict will end. I pray for peace and a denuclearized Iran.

However, Iran’s radical Islamic leadership has chanted “Death to America” for nearly half a century. To them, that’s not a slogan; it’s a promise. When your enemy tells you who they are, believe them.

Iran has spent decades building up its military and propping up terror networks for the sole purpose of killing innocent Americans.

In October 1983, Iran-sponsored suicide bombers killed 241 U.S. servicemen in Beirut. On October 7, Iran-backed Hamas terrorists brutally executed over 1,000 innocent people in Israel, including American citizens. This year, Iran executed 30,000 of their own people for peacefully protesting the government. The murder of the innocent will be the legacy of this Iranian regime.

President Donald Trump has done what his predecessors could not. He said, “Enough.” He said Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon to kill innocents en masse.

While the Washington, D.C. beltway class wants to traffic in speculation about how this conflict ends and what it will cost, I want everyone to remember the core objective: Preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Different “experts” are trying to read the tea leaves about what terms are acceptable to wind down the conflict and how the Strait of Hormuz affects global trade. We need to keep a clear focus on the first principle of this conflict: Iranian nuclear ambition. We cannot dismiss their bloodlust. That’s the arena.

This objective should exist outside of American political theatrics and electoral math. The price of gas is high. Fertilizer costs are spiking; these concerns cannot be dismissed.

I grew up in a poor family. I understand how this squeezes a family’s budget and how unfair it feels when prices rise. Fortunately, I know that President Trump is laser-focused on lowering prices while keeping Americans safe.

We all must remember that this is the greatest nuclear threat America has faced since the Soviet Union fell. Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon for deterrence. The regime actively wants to detonate a nuclear weapon in our homeland and kill millions of Americans. Our nation has never experienced such a violent tragedy, and we cannot passively watch Iran achieve that ambition. That’s why I support this operation.

If your neighbor spent the last decade saying he wants to burn your house down, you might dismiss him as crazy. But if he starts making Molotov cocktails in his garage, you’d worry he wants to use them. It doesn’t take more than common sense to predict his target.

That is our situation with Iran. We need to act now and win. Once we achieve our objective, we can withdraw to keep our servicemen safe and give our citizens peace of mind. That is how we’ve defined victory, and we cannot accept anything less.

This November, I want Americans to cast their ballots in the midterms knowing that our government and military are doing everything in our power to protect the country so they can enter the voting booth freely.

That’s a privilege Iran denies its people. It’s why, regardless of how anyone feels about how this conflict started, America must win.

These are the stakes. It is life and death. Iran wants to kill Americans. They want to kill me, and they want to kill you.

That’s not the world I want to leave for my children and grandchildren. I doubt Americans disagree.

Because of Operation Epic Fury, Iran’s economy is in free fall. The government is shattered. And the last remnant of the regime’s most radical believers, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is on the ropes.

However, Iran’s nuclear ambitions have not abated, and they still want to kill us. But if we can decapitate the terror-supporting regime of Iran and let the people choose their future, we may never have to worry about the Strait of Hormuz closing ever again.

This is a once-in-a-generation chance to finally neutralize the nuclear threat Iran poses to every American.

I continue to support President Trump and the efforts of the U.S. military because they are in an active combat zone. At a time like this, we need to focus on helping warriors accomplish the mission, not bicker about process in Washington and speculate on cable news.

Americans need to come together again. We don’t want another 9/11, and we can’t have an Iranian dirty bomb on our soil.

Our military is on the brink of victory. We can’t wait for Iran to rebuild. We can’t wait for Iran’s next attack.

The radical Islamist regime is hearing its death knell. It’s time to deliver the final blow.

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Rick Scott is currently serving as a U.S. Senator from Florida.