By Nicole Weatherholtz | Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, stated on Tuesday that he has seen no evidence justifying the United States’ involvement in the current conflict with Iran.
Speaking on a recent interview with host Ed Henry, Paul emphasized that one of the central questions Congress must address before supporting military action is whether the U.S. faces an imminent threat.
“Is it in our national interest to go to war?” he asked. “Is there a benefit the country needs? Are we imminently going to be attacked?”
The senator noted he has not seen any intelligence indicating Iran poses an immediate danger requiring American military response. “I don’t see any imminent nature of being attacked or an imminent sense that it is in our best interest to be at war in the Middle East,” Paul added.
He dismissed claims that Iran was on the verge of deploying a nuclear weapon, stating such assertions have been repeated for decades without clear evidence. “I’ve seen no intelligence information to say, ‘Oh, yes, they were putting the final screws on the nuclear weapon that they were about to launch,’” Paul said.
Paul further noted that following previous strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, there is little indication the country is close to developing a weapon. “Well, the Trump administration told us last summer they obliterated their nuclear weapons; they destroyed them,” he stated. Instead, he suggested Iran may be struggling simply to rebuild parts of its nuclear enrichment program.
“If anything, they would be struggling to restart their enrichment program,” Paul said.
When asked about Iranian expatriates calling for U.S. military intervention, Paul remarked that these individuals are not the ones who would ultimately fight the war. “I see these expatriates over here, some of them that want to go back and rule Iran,” he said. “They’re saying we have to have American GIs on the ground. We’ve got to have the Americans do it.”
Paul argued that if Iran is to change its government, the Iranian people themselves must lead that effort. “If you want to be the leader of Iran, you go back, raise an army, and fight the ayatollahs,” he said.
The senator expressed hope for the Iranian people’s freedom but stressed it cannot be imposed by force. “I wish for the best for the Iranian people. I just don’t think we can be at war everywhere to free oppressed people and that, ultimately, if you want your liberty, you have to fight for it,” Paul added. “There would have to be fighting in the streets, and the Iranians will have to fight for their liberty; we can’t give it to them.”
