Ted Cruz defends Trump’s ‘accomplished’ Iran messaging, citing ‘multiple missions’

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Sunday said the U.S. is engaged in “multiple missions” in its conflict with Iran, defending the Trump administration’s efforts in the war that hit its six-month mark on Friday.

NBC’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” showed Cruz a graphic shared by President Trump on Truth Social stating, “Mission accomplished,” alongside a smaller image of former President George W. Bush saying the same thing following the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

“Well, listen, I think there are multiple missions,” Cruz said in response. “If you look at the initial mission, which the Trump administration laid out, which is to degrade and eliminate Iran’s military capacity. Then, I think, the answer is unequivocally a yes on mission accomplished.”

Cruz added that the U.S. has “almost entirely destroyed” Iran’s drone and ballistic missile supply, that its “air force is in rubble on the runway, their navy is sunk at the bottom of the ocean, much of the senior leadership has been eliminated.”

“So in terms of military objectives, I think that is correct,” he continued. “Now, if you also look at the objective of imposing economic harm, right now, with the blockade that we are holding on Iran, Iran is facing $500 million a day of economic cost. That is enormous cost that is ratcheting up.”

Welker asked that if the mission has concluded, why hasn’t the president withdrawn U.S. service members. Cruz said that active combat military operations have “largely ceased” but that there “are occasional skirmishes.”

“The major operation now is the blockade. The blockade is imposing economic sanctions. And every day that pressure on the regime grows. I think economic sanctions are powerful.”

The U.S. has maintained a blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for Iran’s shutdown of the strait, cutting off roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday shared few details about the Trump administration’s new economic warfare campaign, called “Operation Economic Outcast,” which followed Trump’s vow to hit Iran with an “Economic D-Day.”

Bessent urged other nations to cut off their financial ties to Iran or risk being cut out of the U.S. dollar system. Trump and State Department officials phoned their counterparts, calling on them to sever ties with the Iranian regime.

Iranian Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh clapped back , warning that “the enemies should wait for an attack.”