WASHINGTON—Texas congressman Jake Ellzey (R-TX) is standing firmly behind the U.S. military operation against Iran, telling The Floridian's Javier Manjarres in an exclusive interview that the conflict is long overdue.
"We're on day four of taking down the largest state sponsor of terror that has been basically at a state of war with us for 47 years," Rep. Ellzey said.
He pointed to early progress in the operation, noting that forces are already "starting to see genuine effects of taking out their launchers, which is the real threat to the entire region, the ballistic missile launchers and and we're winding those down very, very quickly, and creating an environment for the people of Iran very quickly to to rise up and run their country."
Ellzey also pushed back against comparisons to previous U.S. military engagements in the Middle East. "It's not like Iraq," he said. "It is a homogenous nation that's very well educated and has a history of good, functioning government that is not ideologically driven, and they've been waiting in the wings."
When Manjarres asked about Democratic responses that the strikes are illegal, Ellzey was blunt. "I got a list of about 100 strikes on Americans starting in 1979 that would indicate otherwise," he said.
Then added: "They closed the Straits of Hormuz. That's an act of war. You can't close the Straits of Hormuz. It's illegal. It's an act of war. So, yeah, you're damn right. It's illegal."
Recent Block Vote
The interview comes as Congress remains deeply divided over the conflict. The Senate voted 53–47 to block a War Powers Resolution that aimed to limit President Donald Trump’s military actions, with most Republicans supporting continued strikes and Democrats opposing them.
With Democrats possibly gaining control of Congress in November’s midterm elections, a drawn-out war with Iran could sway voters. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday found that only one in four Americans supports the strikes, while about half think President Trump is too quick to use military force.
Now, the poll shows that growing public doubt about the strikes could push leaders to rethink how they handle the conflict.
As the conflict enters its first full week, supporters like Ellzey remain vocal in their backing, though how the mission unfolds will ultimately determine whether their confidence was well-placed.
