Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., did not rule out supporting the deployment of U.S. ground troops in Iran, telling NBC News\u2019 \u201cMeet the Press\u201d that \u201cwe\u2019ve got to be able to know what the objectives are and what they\u2019re actually carrying out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked by moderator Kristen Welker whether he would support President Donald Trump sending troops into Iran, Lankford said it was important to \u201cfinish\u201d the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo be very clear on this, the worst thing that can happen is to be able to have this kind of conflict start and to not end it, to leave it undone. We\u2019ve got to be able to finish this,\u201d he said, pointing to Iran\u2019s history of supporting attacks against Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked later to confirm that he was not ruling out supporting U.S. troops in Iran, Lankford said it \u201cdepends on what boots we\u2019re putting on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf this is special forces to be able to carry out a specific operation \u2014 get in, get out \u2014 that\u2019s very different than long-standing occupation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thousands of additional U.S. troops are arriving in the region, according to a social media post from U.S. Central Command. NBC News reported last week that Trump approved the deployment of more than 1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NBC News previously reported that Trump is weighing options for putting U.S. troops on the ground, including plans aimed at securing the Strait of Hormuz, retrieving Iran\u2019s highly enriched uranium or seizing Iranian oil facilities to deprive the government of finances and extract concessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier this month, Trump said he was \u201cnot putting troops anywhere\u201d but added that if he were, he would not tell reporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked Sunday whether Trump needed congressional approval to deploy U.S. troops in Iran, Lankford hedged, saying it was \u201ccontingent\u201d on how the troops were used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf we had a long-standing war that\u2019s happening, go back again to what happened in Iraq or in Afghanistan, yes,\u201d Lankford said. \u201cIf this is to protect Americans and to be able to make sure that we\u2019re in there for a season and we\u2019re stopping and getting out, that\u2019s very, very different. So again, this is all contingent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Senate Republicans have previously rejected multiple war powers resolutions aimed at limiting Trump\u2019s ability to launch further military action against Iran without congressional approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the same time, the Pentagon is reportedly seeking $200 billion for the war, according to The Washington Post and other outlets. Earlier this month, Trump said his administration was requesting the funds \u201cfor a lot of reasons, beyond even what we\u2019re talking about in Iran.\u201d He added that he believed the Pentagon is \u201cbeing very judicious\u201d with the request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Sunday, Lankford said the \u201ckey focus\u201d for Congress will be that funding request. \u201cThat\u2019s the moment that Congress always engages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen the additional funding request comes in, Congress will have to speak at that moment to be able to talk about how far, what the plans are, what we\u2019re going to do,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a separate interview on \u201cMeet the Press,\u201d Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said the Trump administration has \u201cgotten us into what will be looked at as one of the greatest blunders, presidential blunders, of our time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Booker criticized the administration for not asking Congress for approval, arguing that Trump was \u201cpushing us further and further into a conflict with no foreseeable off-ramp and thousands of more troops moving into that region.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe still has not come to Congress for any kind of authorization for what is clearly not just a war, but the biggest military engagement we\u2019ve had since the war in Afghanistan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Booker questioned the administration\u2019s plan, saying, \u201cThis has been the problem from the start.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe did not consult with Congress. He did not come and make his case to us or the American people or strategic allies in the region,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is a president that is failing this moment and making matters worse for Americans. He\u2019s a man of chaos and corruption, and we\u2019re seeing that now on a global scale.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Iran\u2019s Parliament speaker said Sunday that the country is ready to counter a U.S. ground attack, \u201cwaiting for American soldiers to enter on the ground so they can set them ablaze and punish their regional partners forever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n