The Iranian attacks on U.S. troops and assets has to end with a "massive retaliation" from the "fearful" Biden administration, according to Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.
"Life in the Middle East is not a church picnic: What you need more than anything is iron will and crushing force," Cotton told "Fox News Sunday." "And what I fear most threatens Americans and stability in the region is American weakness.
"Arab leaders want to be partners with a strong America, and frankly a strong Israel, because a thing they fear most is Iran and its terror proxies."
Iran-backed forces have attacked American positions in the Middle East now "over 150 times" since President Joe Biden took office and "over 70 times" since the Oct. 7 onset of the Israel war on Hamas, Cotton said, warning that the Biden administration only responded a few times and "usually at empty proxy warehouses."
"It seems like the president wants to go out of his way to avoid Iranian casualties," Cotton said. "I would target Iranians operating in Iraq and in Syria.
"I would also send a clear message to Iran, if these attacks don't stop immediately, then we will begin to threaten their assets."
Iran would have never dared to be so "contemptuous" to the U.S. under former President Donald Trump as it is under President Joe Biden, according to Cotton.
"You don't see that kind of fear from Hamas, Iran, or frankly anyone around the world," Cotton said, pointing to Iran releasing former Jimmy Carter administration hostages on the first day former President Ronald Reagan took office in January 1981.
Cotton added Biden's "fear of escalation ensures escalation."
"The way to stop it is establish escalation dominance over a terrorist-supporting regime like Iran," Cotton said, quoting a mobster mentality that says, "iI they send one of yours to the hospital, you send one of theirs to the morgue."
"That's the way of the Middle East, and President Biden doesn't appear to understand that," Cotton said.
"The way to stop these attacks is not to be fearful and hesitant and cautious in a response but massive retaliation to make it clear we will not tolerate these attacks on Americans.
"Otherwise, I fear we're going to see mass-casualty attack against American forces in the region."