Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) urged the Trump administration on Tuesday to exercise restraint following an attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil supply, saying the U.S. should be mindful of protecting its own interests.
“We shouldn’t attack anybody on behalf of Saudi Arabia for Saudi Arabia’s national interests,” Hawley said during an appearance on Hill.TV.
Hawley argued that the U.S. should instead look to “preserve the security of the American people and the prosperity of our middle class.”
His comments come after a drone strike on two Saudi oil facilities over the weekend.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility for the attack, though U.S. officials have placed blame squarely on Iran. Tehran has denied this accusation.
As intelligence officials try to identify the culprit behind the attacks, some Republicans – including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) – have called on the president to take more decisive action. Trump previously said the U.S. was “locked and loaded” to respond to the attack, but the president has also said he would like to avoid a potential war with Tehran.
“The problems with Iran only get worse over time so it is imperative we take decisive action to deter further aggression by the Ayatollah and his henchman,” Graham tweeted.
The weekend attack rattled the oil markets, shutting off half of the Kingdom’s oil exports, which is equal to roughly 5 percent of the world supply.
But Saudi Arabia energy minister said Tuesday that the country expects to return to full oil production by the end of the month.
—Tess Bonn
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