By Siobhan Hughes and Terell Wright
Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.), a firm ally of President Trump, said that he didn't support the U.S. bombing Iranian civilian infrastructure. "I think it would be a huge mistake. I mean, he loses me if he attacks civilian targets. Whatever we do has to be within the laws of warfare," Johnson said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Asked about senators he was reaching out to, he said he was texting people but "not getting too many responses. I think we're all hoping and praying-what we're praying for is for the ayatollahs to capitulate."
Trump said he would bomb Iran "back to the stone ages" if a Tuesday evening deadline for a deal wasn't met. On Tuesday morning, Trump raised the stakes again, saying "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again" if no deal is reached. "I hope and pray that President Trump is just using this as bluster," Johnson had said late Monday to podcaster John Solomon. "We are not at war with the Iranian people. We are trying to liberate them.
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April 07, 2026 12:00 ET (16:00 GMT)
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