Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker said Friday that the "time is over for negotiations with Iran's regime," as the United States and Iran engage in peace talks to end the military conflict in the Middle East.
The U.S. and Israel began a military operation against Iran in February, which eliminated some of Iran's top leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran has retaliated with strikes on U.S. military bases in the region and on Israel.
Wicker suggested the U.S. finish eliminating Iran's nuclear program and its military instead of continuing peace talks.
"The time is over for negotiations with Iran's regime," Wicker posted on X. "The radical successors of Khamenei can never be trusted to keep any promise or agreement.
"Our Commander-in-Chief should direct his skilled military leaders to finish destroying Iran's conventional military capabilities and eliminating any last remnants of their nuclear program," he continued. "This is the only way to ensure lasting stability in the region."
The comment comes as President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff head to Pakistan for the next round of peace talks this weekend at Iran's request.
"We're hopeful that it will be a productive conversation and hopefully move the ball forward towards a deal," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday. "The goal of Operation Epic Fury was to ensure that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and we've now transitioned into this diplomatic phase to get that done through the means of a deal."
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.
