Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-33)
As a retired U.S. Army colonel who served more than three decades in uniform — including combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan — I have seen firsthand what happens when America projects strength and what happens when it projects weakness. The world is watching. Our allies are watching. And our enemies are watching most of all.
President Donald Trump’s decisive action against Iran was necessary.
For more than four decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. From the 1979 hostage crisis under President Jimmy Carter, to the bombing of our Marine barracks in Beirut, to the arming and training of militias that killed American soldiers in Iraq, the regime in Tehran has waged a sustained campaign against the United States and our allies.
Under President Carter, America’s handling of the hostage crisis projected uncertainty. The images of blindfolded Americans held captive signaled to adversaries that the United States could be humiliated without consequence. That perception carried far beyond Iran.
Decades later, the Obama administration pursued the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). While presented as a diplomatic breakthrough, the agreement released billions in sanctions relief without permanently dismantling Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Meanwhile, the regime expanded its regional aggression — funding Hezbollah, Hamas and militias across the Middle East — while continuing missile development. As a soldier who saw Iranian-backed explosive devices tear through American convoys, I cannot accept the premise that appeasement moderates a regime built on hostility to the West.
Under President Joe Biden, a familiar pattern returned. Sanctions enforcement weakened. Frozen assets were made accessible. Proxy attacks against U.S. forces and our allies increased. Regional instability grew. The lesson is consistent: when the United States signals retreat, the ayatollahs advance.
Diplomacy without credible force behind it is not strategy, it is wishful thinking.
President Trump understood a fundamental truth: peace is secured not by hoping adversaries will change, but by convincing them they must. His administration’s maximum pressure campaign constrained Iran’s economy and limited its ability to finance terrorism. More importantly, it restored deterrence. When American red lines were crossed, there were consequences.
Critics argue that force risks escalation. That is true. But inaction carries risk as well — often greater risk. Failing to respond to aggression teaches adversaries that America lacks resolve. Over time, that perception invites larger and more dangerous conflicts.
Here in Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro criticized President Trump’s actions as destabilizing. Yet this is the same governor who signed artillery shells destined for Ukraine. One cannot celebrate the tools of war in one context and condemn their strategic use in another when deterrence requires resolve. Foreign policy cannot be partisan. It must be principled.
Leadership demands clarity and consistency. Our adversaries study our words and measure our actions. Mixed signals are dangerous.
Strength and diplomacy are not opposites — they are partners. President Ronald Reagan demonstrated this during the Cold War. President Trump applied the same principle: aggression will meet resolve.
This is not about seeking war. Those of us who have worn the uniform understand the cost of conflict. I have stood beside brave men and women who bore the burden of decisions made in Washington. The goal is always to prevent war. But prevention requires strength.
Iran’s regime has shown repeatedly that it interprets concession as weakness. President Trump’s action delivered a different message: the United States will defend its people, its allies and its interests.
The stakes extend beyond the Middle East. China and Russia are watching closely. If America falters in confronting Tehran, challenges will multiply elsewhere.
Peace through strength is not a slogan — it is a doctrine grounded in history and hard experience. I learned that in uniform. President Trump applied it in office. For the security of our nation and the stability of our allies, it was the right course.