Rob Portman: “I would like to take a few moments today to talk about the current situation with regard to Iran. First, the decision to…”

“I would like to take a few moments today to talk about the current situation with regard to Iran. First, the decision to take out Qasem Soleimani. Let's remember who he was. He was leader of the Quds Force and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps--both of these groups, by the way, having been designated as terrorist organizations. He was responsible for providing the Shia militias in Iraq with explosively formed penetrators. What does that mean? These were the extremely deadly improvised explosive devices--so-called roadside bombs--that were responsible for killing over 600 American soldiers and injuring many more, at least a couple thousand. Some of those maimed or killed were from my home State of Ohio. My heart goes out to their families for their sacrifice. I got a chance to see some of these brave Americans in visits to the Landstuhl military hospital in Germany and the Walter Reed Hospital here in Washington, DC. We must never forget their courage and the sacrifices they and their families have made. Over the past 2 months alone, Soleimani helped direct more than 11 attacks against our forces in Iraq. In fact, he was found recently to be plotting more. When he was killed, he was plotting additional and imminent attacks with the commander of the Shia militia--the same commander who directed both the rocket strikes that killed the American contractor and wounded four American service personnel in Erbil and the demonstration and assault against the U.S.…”