It was a mistake for President Donald Trump to threaten Iran and he "doesn't seem to understand the stakes" at hand, Rep. Seth Moulton, a former Marine Corps officer who served four tours in Iraq, said Tuesday.
"You don't conduct foreign policies with temper tantrums on Twitter," the Massachusetts Democrat told MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
"Second of all, he doesn't seem to understand the stakes here. Iran actively worked to kill American troops in Iraq. I saw that myself firsthand. We actually had to fight Iranians. We need someone strong and sure against this enemy with a plan to hold them in check," Moulton said.
Moulton noted that United States had an "imperfect deal" with Iran to make sure it didn't build a nuclear weapon.
"It wasn't a perfect deal," he said. "I don't think any of us thought it was. It prevented Iran from building a nuclear weapon. Trump came in, ripped it out without any alternative in place."
Moulton added that it would be a "very smart policy" to bring about different Iranian leadership, as being pushed by some in the Trump administration, but complained there is a "complete disconnect" between Trump's "rhetoric and what he is actually doing."
"When Trump ratchets up tensions against Iran with their leaders, he is empowering hardliners, empowering people that say the only way out is to have war with America," said Moulton. "What he should be doing is empowering the dissidents, empowering people that say it is OK to give up nuclear weapons, we want to be partners with the west."
He said Trump's tweet, sent hours after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told Trump that hostile policies toward Tehran could lead to "the mother of all wars," reminds him of the president's recent dealings with North Korea.
"He had a temper tantrum against the North Korean leader, next thing you know, he is sitting down, making some sort of deal, which isn't a deal," said Moulton. "All Trump did in North Korea is, he gave up military exercises with them for what? Some promise from a leader that said he would get rid of nuclear weapons and we have no way to verify this?"
Moulton added that the latest actions are a distraction from the president's "disaster in Helsinki" and from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"We have gone from foreign policy in the United States where Democrats and Republicans can come together to one led by an erratic commander-in-chief," said the lawmaker. "We have gone from Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis, who stared down the Russian bear until it backed off, to Reagan who stared down the Russian bear until it fell apart, to Trump who is cozying up to the Russian bear and inviting him for a playdate in Washington.
"What the hell is going on here?"