Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) stood firm in his support for Israel's right to defend itself ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and triggered an ongoing conflict in Gaza.
During an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," Walz called for Israeli hostages to be released and to bring an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza but said that "Iran is at the heart of this," noting "their proxies that bring disruption throughout the region."
"Let's remember how this started, and we're approaching tomorrow a tragic anniversary. Hamas terrorists murdered over 1,200 innocent Israelis, 46 Americans took hostages," Walz said. "We have been clear Israel has the right to defend itself. We've always stood in that position."
"We have always said we reserve the right to protect American troops, our allies in the region, and that there is consequences for Iran," he later added. "So what you're seeing right now is the ability to work with our allies, the ability to make sure Iran does not further, and every administration has dealt with them for 45 years now."
Walz's statement comes amid Israel's intensifying bombardment of northern Gaza and southern Beirut. Hezbollah has bombarded Israel with air strikes for the last year, displacing the Israeli population in the north.
In recent weeks, Israel sharpened its engagement with Hezbollah, opening a new front in the war along the Lebanon border.
Additionally, President Biden suggested Israel may target Iran’s oil infrastructure in retaliation for a missile attack, which may lead to spiking gas prices across the U.S. In the hours after Biden's initial remarks last week responding to questions about whether the U.S. would back Israel if it targets Iranian oil facilities, West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. oil benchmark, spiked 5.5 percent.
