WASHINGTON - Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Friday after talking with President Trump about his current Iran strategy:

“After speaking with President Trump this afternoon, I am convinced he made the right call last night. It is clear the Iranian regime is a threat, and that such threats cannot be eliminated by wishful thinking like President Obama’s reckless deal with Tehran. But neither does every provocation call for a military response.”

“Economic sanctions on Iran are working. Tehran has had to cut back support for international terrorist organizations, their criminal nuclear program, and their oil exports are plummeting. The Iranian economy has been crippled, and the Iranian people know it is their own leaders’ fault.”

“Iran’s recent provocations are a transparent attempt by a desperate regime to distract the Iranian people from the true source of their hardship. They are playing a game that has served violent autocrats for decades, at the expense of America’s interests. Changing the regime’s behavior is the right goal, but it’s not at all clear air strikes will achieve it. They may unintentionally strengthen the regime by unifying the Iranian people. President Trump is finally changing the rules of the game, and is winning.”

“If and when Iran’s provocations do demand a military response, that is a constitutional decision for the American people’s representatives in Congress. For now, the president’s Iran strategy is prudent, aggressive, and effective. I fully support it, and his decision last night.”