War: Iran regime can’t be changed with airstrikes – US Senator Chris Murphy
World News War: Iran regime can’t be changed with airstrikes – US Senator Chris Murphy Published on March 13, 2026 By Wale Odunsi googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1500386953281-8'); }); The ongoing airstrikes by the United States and Israel won’t overthrow the current leadership in Iran, US Senator Chris Murphy has argued. “You cannot bomb a nation into submission; you cannot impose regime change from the air,” the lawmaker remarked Thursday on the floor of the Senate. He expressed grief over the February 28 strike that hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab, saying images of the aftermath would harden the resolve of the Iranian people. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1524595905268-5'); }); Murphy said President Donald Trump has “apparently learned nothing from our nightmares in Iraq and Afghanistan,” accusing him of not being straight regarding the Minab tragedy. “What makes this incident even more unforgivable is that the President is lying to us,” he fumed. “The President should know that we are the only nation using Tomahawks.” On Iran’s nuclear program, Murphy recalled Trump’s repeated statement that a goal of the war is to permanently deny the Islamic Republic the ability to have nuclear weapons. Murphy said information from closed-door briefings suggests otherwise, stressing that Iran’s nuclear program cannot be wrecked easily, as much of the material is buried underground. “You cannot destroy knowledge,” the Democrat stated. “You cannot hunt down every Iranian scientist who knows how to build a nuclear reactor.” The senator projects “increased deaths in the region” because the US did not have “adequate supplies ready” for its allies to protect themselves against Iranian aerial attacks. Murphy further described the mining of the Strait of Hormuz as a major problem, warning that its continued closure for weeks or months would “trigger a global economic catastrophe”. Speaking to reporters, Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch Trump supporter, claimed Iran had planned to dominate the Gulf region in an effort to “control gas prices forever”. “If you think gas prices are high now, give the Ayatollah a nuclear weapon to terrorize the region and threaten the Strait of Hormuz,” the Republican said. He, however, noted that the US operation had surpassed what he thought could be done. Asked his opinion on troop deployment, Graham replied: “I don’t see a need for it, this is not Iraq.” Don't Miss Multiple explosions rock Iran’s capital as Israel launches fresh wave of strikes You may like ‘How dare you, who are you’ – Falana slams Trump over Iran war Multiple explosions rock Iran’s capital as Israel launches fresh wave of strikes War: Occupation, injustice can’t last forever – Embassy of Iran declares in Quds Day message ‘We will target you’ – Netanyahu warns Iran’s new Supreme Leader War: Iran’s new Supreme Leader alive but damaged – Trump 2026 World Cup: FIFA set to replace Iran at tournament