Dem Rep Seth Moulton says US is ‘losing this war’ with Iran, raises concerns over strategy

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Seth Moulton (D-MA) warned that the United States is “losing this war” with Iran during an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper.

He pointed to ongoing challenges in the conflict and questioned whether current efforts are reaching their intended goals.

Seth Moulton raises doubts over war progress

Cooper asked Moulton how he felt after the House Armed Services Committee briefing, noting that many of the congressman’s colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, were deeply displeased at the Pentagon’s lack of transparency.

“I would say disillusioned, Anderson,” said Moulton. “And I didn’t think I could be more disillusioned than I already was. There is absolutely no plan. The administration clearly can’t even understand why they’re in this war, what their strategy is to get out of it.”

Moulton’s comments come as lawmakers from both parties continue to debate the scope and duration of US involvement.

The congressman told Cooper that Trump’s administration is currently focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the key oil route that Iran has kept closed for weeks as oil prices remain unstable.

“If you look every step of the way, they’re doing things to– they’re changing their goals. They’re doing things that don’t even necessarily contribute to their goals,” said Moulton.

Seth Moulton claims Trump is 'begging' China to help with Strait of Hormuz

Moulton suggested that despite ongoing operations, the US has not demonstrated a clear path to success. He also mentioned that the administration is asking China for help in reopening the strait.

“Apparently, now their primary goal is reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which, let’s be clear, was open before Trump started this war of choice,” the Congressman remarked. “That’s why he’s begging. He’s begging our greatest adversary, the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, he’s asking to come and bail him out to reopen this strait.”

“It’s an unmitigated disaster, and it’s very clear they don’t have a plan going forward,” Moulton added.

Cooper asked the Democrat to clarify his point, noting the number of targets the US military has reported hit: “So, I mean, even though CENTCOM today is saying 10,000 targets in Iran have been hit, and we have seen, you know, endless videos of large explosions, you’re saying the US is losing this war?”

Moulton maintained that he believed the US did not have the upper hand, telling Cooper that no matter the number of targets destroyed, the real issue was Iran’s future actions.

“As of right now, I think we are,” he said. “And no matter how many targets are hit, let’s say they hit another 10,000. They’ve hit 20,000 targets. At the end of the day, what matters is what Iran does next. Will the rebuild and will they project more power?”