Rand Paul Opposes U.S. Attacks Against Iran: 'I Don't Think It Will Help The Situation, It Will Make It Worse'

Republican Sen. Rand Paul criticized the possibility that the U.S. will conduct strikes in Iran, saying that even though "our well wishing should be with them," foreign military action could backfire.

Speaking to Fox Business, the lawmaker was asked about his opinion on whether the administration should strike the country to retaliate against the regime's repression of the massive protests there.

"I think our well wishing should be with them. We should encourage their search for freedom, but I'm afraid if you bomb Iran you'll have the opposite effect," Paul said.

"When bombs rain in on a country, it changes and reorients their anger from the authoritarian leader towards the foreign power attacking. I don't think it will help the situation, it will make it worse. We should be sending every message to Iran that it's not going to be integrating them further into society. It will estrange them more from the world community, and there are economic ramifications to that," he added.

The chances of a U.S. attack in Iran seemed to drop on Wednesday night after President Donald Trump told press he had learned that the regime had stopped killing protesters and halted plans for executions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared to confirm the regime would refrain from executing protesters, telling Fox News there wouldn't be "any hanging today or tomorrow or whatever." "I'm confident about that. There is no plan for hanging at all," he added.

Paul has historically opposed foreign intervention, also criticizing actions in Venezuela. Before the raid that captured Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro, he opposed seizing tankers off the country's coast, saying it was a "provocation and a prelude to war."

"I'm not for confiscating these liners. I'm not for blowing up these boats of unarmed people that are suspected of being drug dealers. I'm not for any of this," Paul told ABC News in late December.