Ocean County Leader

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Co-Chair of the Israel Allies Caucus, has released a statement following an Iranian missile attack on Israel.

"Make no mistake, the adversaries of Israel are the adversaries of the United States," Smith said. He emphasized the importance of supporting Israel, describing it as "the only true, stable democracy in the Middle East."

Smith called for strong support for Israel's defense systems, including Iron Dome, Arrow systems, and David’s Sling. He also mentioned the need for offensive military capabilities to combat Iran and its proxies.

"It is critical that the United States immediately push for the resumption of sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program," he stated. Smith urged further actions to deny sanctuary to Iranian terrorist proxies and prevent Tehran from using international bodies like the United Nations to fund terrorism.

Additionally, Smith highlighted the need for an investigation into Iranian influence campaigns within the U.S., including efforts to influence federal policy and fund pro-terrorist protests since October 7th.

"The United States must make explicitly clear that it will no longer tolerate a campaign of destruction against our closest ally in the region," Smith concluded.