Lawmaker urges U.S. to negotiate with Iran, says bombing won't work

A lawmaker said the United States should negotiate with Iran immediately, arguing that military strikes cannot solve the conflict and would worsen regional and domestic economic problems.

The speaker said diplomacy is "the only way out," and warned that "you're not going to be able to bomb your way out of this," criticizing what they described as a simplistic belief that strikes would end Iran's program. The lawmaker said Prime Minister Netanyahu and others had expected bombing to produce quick results but called Iran a more complicated case, pointing to its roughly 90 million population and "weapons that they're utilizing" against U.S. partners in the Gulf.

The lawmaker linked regional military pressure to economic fallout at home, saying allies who host U.S. bases have seen harmed economies and that the effects are reflected in rising gas, food and health-care costs for Americans. The speaker also criticized the president's response, saying the administration "is doing nothing about it." No formal motion or vote was recorded in the transcript.