Countries in the Middle East are seeking U.S. support to combat the "growing influence of China," leaders on the House Intelligence Committee told CNN.
On our trip to the Middle East, all three counties we visited told us that "China's increased influence in the area as a need for the United States to step up its influence," House Intelligence Chair Mike Turner, R-Ohio, said Sunday.
Turner, speaking alongside his colleague and ranking member of the House Intel Committee, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., who accompanied him on the trip, added that "everyone is watching this very closely and seeing this as an opportunity for the United States to not only play a greater role for security but also a greater role in keeping China at bay."
Himes chimed in, saying they all "view the U.S. alliance as indispensable."
The two's trip to Jordan, Israel, and Egypt follows after China, in March, inked a landmark deal mediating tensions between archfoes Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Himes notes that for Israel, Iran remains a security concern. He adds that negotiating on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or the Iran Nuclear Deal as it's known, seems to have grown out of reach.
"With Iran so brutally abusing its own people," he adds, "I think the prospect for negotiation is arguably further away than ever before. We're in a little bit of a fix right now because we don't have a lot of leverage."
But Turner nonetheless maintained that Iran could be deterred — militarily.
"If they do believe that there will be military action against them, a surgical-type strike that would diminish their ability to pursue nuclear weapons, that could have a chilling effect and could stall their programming. And he doesn't want that opportunity to be missed," he said.
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