Collins calls for Iran conflict to be ‘brief,’ ‘successful’

HARTLAND, Maine — Sen. Susan Collins said Friday that none of the six soldiers killed in an air refueling accident in western Iraq are from Maine.

Collins, a Republican seeking a sixth term in November, said she spoke to Maine Brigadier Gen. Diane Dunn on Thursday night following news of the accident.

Troops out of Bangor fly the same type of refueling plane that crashed during the conflict in Iran.

“I am so saddened at the death of the service members who were on the tanker,” Collins said after touring projects in Hartland that benefited from federal spending she secured. “I’m happy that none of them were from the state of Maine or from the Bangor base but it’s obviously a tragedy nonetheless.”

Collins voted with fellow Republicans in opposition to a war powers resolution that would have required Trump to end the conflict with Iran. She said Friday she hopes the operation will be “brief and successful.”

She said her support for the conflict is founded in the fact that Iran is “the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world.” She said Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon.

“I hope that this military operation will be both brief and successful,” she said.

Collins’ position on Iran puts her at odds with the Democrats hoping to challenge her in November. Both Gov. Janet Mills and combat veteran Graham Platner — who will compete in a June 9 primary — have been outspoken critics of the Trump administration’s decision to join Israel in bombing the country. 

“President Trump is recklessly pushing the United States into a dangerous conflict in the Middle East, putting the men and women of our military into harm’s way and ignoring the constitutional imperative to consult Congress,” Mills said. “This is yet another abuse of power from a president who constantly disregards the rule of law.”

Platner posted a message to X on Friday.

“Allowing the president to launch wars, on his own, whenever he pleases, has been a disaster,” he said. “We have handed war-making authority to the president. It’s time we take it back.”

Collins said that she’s been part of three classified briefings on the conflict in which 11 service members have died.

She said if Trump sends in ground troops, that would trigger the need for approval from Congress.

“It’s both boots on the ground and the length of the conflict,” she said. “If this is going to be a relatively brief operation, then I believe that the president has inherent abilities as commander in chief to react.”

She said the spike in oil prices demonstrates how much power Iran has to control the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the world’s oil must pass through. Recent reports indicate that Iran intends to place mines in the strait.

“That is a very dangerous situation for a country that chants ‘death to America’ to have control over the Strait of Hormuz,” Collins said. “Our goal is to ensure that the Iranian Navy cannot mine the strait, which it is trying to right now, bringing shipping to a halt.”