WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) today issued the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s recent decision to deploy the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the Persian Gulf.

“The Administration’s recent actions in the Middle East, specifically as they pertain to Iran, are deeply troubling.  The recent decision to first deploy the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, and now B-52s, to the Persian Gulf is the latest in a string of actions that could unintentionally escalate tensions between the United States and Iran. 

“Given the sensitivity of this issue, the Congress must be briefed immediately.  Until then, I urge the Administration to proceed with caution and look at options that include diplomacy with a path forward to de-escalation.”

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