Florida GOP hopeful on backing Trump in Iran: 'This is about ending a long war, not starting a war'

For GOP congressional candidate Dan Green, the military confrontation with Iran isn't the start of a new war — it’s the long-overdue resolution of a conflict that began in 1979. Drawing on his own military tours in Iraq, the Navy veteran running in Florida’s 9th Congressional District argues that America is finally settling decades-long strife with Tehran, even as he faces a tough domestic battle over inflation, kitchen-table economics, and a 10-year Democrat incumbent in the newly redrawn Orlando-based suburban district."I think one thing to know about Iran is that they've been at war with us since the 1970s, when they seized our embassy in Tehran and they took our Americans hostage.So to me, this is about ending a long war, not starting a war. "Whether it's the Marine Corps barracks in the 80s when Iran bombed those, the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, and also with my tours in Iraq, the Iranians were killing a lot of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.TOP DEM LEGAL BOOGEYMEN TEE UP 'BATTLE ROYALE' IN RED STATE'S REDISTRICTING CRUSADERep.

Darren Soto, D-Fla., left, and GOP congressional candidate Dan Green are locked in a battle for the state's 9th Congressional District.(Getty Images)"So, the question is, what's the butcher's bill you're willing to tolerate of dead Americans? And we also know they plotted to kill and assassinate our president. So, to me, this has been a long time coming, but I think what we really need to focus on is how do we get a successful termination of this conflict and stability back in the Middle East?"Green is running in a district that voted for President Donald Trump by a large margin in 2024, yet the Republicans face headwinds as inflation and energy prices remain a persistent preoccupation for voters.

Yet, he remains confident in the appeal of the GOP brand, compared to the Democratic alternative."I think the Democrats have a huge problem right now.I don't think they know what they're really about," Green said.

"As ...