In Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing, Shaheen Grills Under Secretary Colby on Past Comments Arguing Against Strikes on Iran
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, today questioned Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the National Defense Strategy. During the hearing, Shaheen raised past comments the Under Secretary made that are in direct opposition to the Trump Administration’s current actions in the Middle East in an article entitled “Why Not to Attack Iran” on how striking Iran is not in the United States’ interest and leaves Tehran “every incentive to reboot the program with greater vigor.”
Citing comments Under Secretary Colby wrote in 2012 that putting boots on the ground in Iran would “likely prove protracted and costly,” Shaheen pressed Colby on whether he agrees with Secretary Hegseth and President Trump leaving the door open to deploying the U.S. military.
Under Secretary Colby refused to either repudiate his past comments or endorse the President’s position on Iran under repeated questioning by Senator Shaheen.
Click HERE to watch the Shaheen’s full remarks and questions.
Key Quotes from Shaheen’s Questions:
- On Under Secretary Colby’s previous comments warning against striking Iran, Shaheen said: “You wrote in the same article that military strikes were unlikely ‘to embolden resistance to the government.’ And you concluded by noting that ‘It’s probably best not to start down a road that has no end in sight.’”
- On the purpose of the strikes, Shaheen asked: “So do you agree with Secretary Rubio that the reason we took this action now was because of Israel’s intent to strike? Was there any effort to dissuade Israel from making these strikes now?”
- On whether Under Secretary Colby stands by past comments regarding sending American troops to Iran, Shaheen asked: “So you do agree with [President Trump and Secretary Hegseth] now, that putting boots on the ground is a viable option? [...] I've heard what the President said; I want to know what you think.”
In January, Shaheen criticized the Pentagon’s 2026 National Defense Strategy for failing to take China seriously as the pacing challenge to our nation, noting how the document marks a staunch departure from past National Defense Strategies under Presidents Trump and Biden that identified the national security challenges posed by China.
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