Maine independent U.S. Sen. Angus King says that he hopes President Donald Trump will reign in his national security team as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate.
King, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, was responding to reports that the president is at odds with his national security advisor John Bolton, who has previously advocated for regime change in Iran.
King told CNN Friday that both countries seem to be reacting to each other without knowing the other's intentions, a series of steps that could lead to war.
"Let's say a group from the Shia militia attack Americans,” says King. “Is that an Iranian attack? Is that something that could trigger an escalation by us versus Iran, and then suddenly we're on the ladder."
Shia militias assisted in beating back ISIS in neighboring Iraq, but King worries that the Iran-influenced militias could now target American forces in the region.
