Sen. Chris Coons (D., Del.) said the recent drone strikes that have been blamed on Iran may be "the thing that calls for military action" during an appearance on Fox & Friends Monday morning.
Over the weekend, the United States blamed Iran for a drone strike on two oil installations in Saudi Arabia. Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack, but Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pointed the finger at Iran and claimed there was no evidence the drone originated from Yemen.
Anchor Brian Kilmeade asked Coons what the appropriate response for the United States should be.
"First, I want to see the intelligence. But it seems credible that the Houthis don't have the sort of advanced drones that carried out this crippling strike on Saudi oil facilities," Coons said. "My hope that the president will consult with his generals, his diplomats, his advisors will look hard at the intelligence. Iran is one of the most dangerous state sponsors of terrorism. This may well be the thing that calls for military action against Iran if that's what the intelligence supports."
"What about people who say, 'You know, we got our own oil, we don't need that oil as much as we used to. Not our problem.' What would you say to that?" Kilmeade asked.
"One of the things that has kept America safe and secure for seven decades is a global network of alliances," Coons said. "Obviously our alliance with the Saudis has been badly strained by the murder of Khashoggi and by some of the other things that MBS, the crown prince, has done."
He added if there are further attacks by Iran on America's allies like Jordan, Israel, or the Saudis, the U.S. should take serious action against Iran.
"This is a moment where Iran is really pushing our resolve and is really testing to see whether we are actually going to stand up," he said.