Van Drew on Iran War: ‘We’ve Got to Get Done With This’

South Jersey congressman backs preventing a nuclear-armed Iran but warns against another “endless war” as conflict stretches beyond six months

U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew says the United States must prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, but the South Jersey congressman is increasingly blunt about what he wants to happen next: Finish the mission and get American forces out.

“We’ve got to get done with this,” Van Drew, R-2nd, said during an appearance on Off The Press with Scott Cronick on WOND.

Van Drew’s comments come as the U.S.-Iran conflict has stretched beyond six months and again escalated this week, with attacks involving American warships, Iranian oil tankers and U.S. forces in Jordan. Oil prices surged Thursday, with U.S. crude climbing above $100 a barrel amid fears of further disruptions to global energy supplies.

Van Drew, a strong ally of President Donald Trump, did not say the United States was wrong to confront Iran. Instead, he argued that the military mission needs limits and an exit.

“I believe, and I will say, that you certainly don’t want them to have any kind of nuclear weaponry,” Van Drew said. “You certainly don’t want them to have long-range missiles. But we’ve got to get done with this.”

‘Basically get out’

Van Drew then described what he believes the next phase should look like.

“Even if we go in there for a period of a week or two or three and really pound and make sure that there isn’t enriched uranium, that there is no nuclear weaponry,” Van Drew said, the United States should accomplish its objectives and “then basically get out.”

He also pointed to keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, the strategically critical shipping route through which a significant portion of the world's oil supply travels.

Van Drew later made his concern about a prolonged military commitment even clearer.

“I’ve been around enough years where I’ve seen these endless wars,” Van Drew said. “I don’t like them. I want to get out of this.”

But he said withdrawal should come from a position of strength rather than resemble the U.S. departure from Afghanistan.

“We need to be strong,” Van Drew said. “We need to do it in a way that is positive. And then we need to have heavy sanctions on Iran, put a lot of pressure and make sure the strait is opened up. That’s the direction I want.”

Not the first time Van Drew has called for an exit

The comments represent an increasingly forceful warning from Van Drew about allowing the conflict to become open-ended, but they are not a sudden change in his position.

In June, Van Drew told CNN that the United States needed an exit strategy while continuing to support the goal of eliminating Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

“Get it done. Get out,” Van Drew said at the time. “We need an exit strategy.”

In a July appearance on C-SPAN, Van Drew again said he supported Trump standing up to Iran while acknowledging Americans' frustration over gasoline prices.

“We need to get it done,” Van Drew said then. “We need to get it out of the way.”

His comments to Cronick therefore appear less like a break with the administration than a continuation — and sharpening — of a position Van Drew has been expressing for months: Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, but the United States should not become trapped in another indefinite Middle Eastern conflict.

War stretches far beyond initial expectations

The war began Feb. 28 with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran. What initially was presented as a relatively short campaign has instead passed the six-month mark, with the administration's approach shifting among military action, negotiations and economic pressure.

The conflict was again intensifying this week.

Iranian forces have attempted missile strikes against American warships at least three times in the past week, including an aircraft carrier, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal. U.S. Central Command said the American ships avoided the attacks.

Iran also launched missiles at U.S. forces in Jordan, while the United States struck five Iranian oil tankers.

On Thursday, Trump warned Iran that the United States could strike Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified site near the damaged Natanz uranium enrichment facility, if Tehran continues activity there.

Meanwhile, Brent crude jumped above $106 a barrel Thursday and U.S. crude topped $100 for the first time since May as attacks on shipping increased fears of further disruption.

That economic impact was part of Cronick’s questioning of Van Drew.

Cronick told the congressman that gasoline prices and the Iran war could become major issues influencing how Americans vote in November.

Van Drew acknowledged the financial pressure facing Americans.

“People are getting killed,” Van Drew said, referring to the economic impact on working families. “Things are expensive and you have to recognize that we need to do better.”

Van Drew: ‘When the president’s right, I agree with him’

The comments are particularly notable because of Van Drew’s close political relationship with Trump.

Earlier in the same interview, Cronick asked Van Drew about remaining aligned with the president heading into his own re-election campaign.

Van Drew said he would not distance himself from Trump for political reasons, but also insisted that his support is not unconditional.

“When the president’s right, I agree with him,” Van Drew said. “And when he is wrong, I disagree with him. And I’ve done that in the past. I’ve done it now. And we’ll continue to do that.”

Van Drew did not specifically characterize Trump's Iran policy as wrong during the interview. In fact, he continued to support the central objective of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

But after more than six months of conflict, Van Drew's message about its duration was unmistakable.

“I don’t like” endless wars, he said. “I want to get out of this.”

Van Drew made the comments during an appearance on “Off The Press with Scott Cronick” on WOND.