Tom Cotton, US Senator, apparently does not know the capital of Iran

Senator says of Iran: “They already control Tehran”

(Getty Images)

US Senator Tom Cotton has been all over the news lately for his role in a letter sent to Iranian leaders that could compromise delicate nuclear negotiations between Iran and a US-led coalition.

Funny that, because it seems that Mr Cotton does not know basic Iranian geography.

In an interview on Face the Nation on Sunday, Mr Cotton made a curious comment about Iran and its increasing influence in the Middle East.

Bob Schieffer asked Mr Cotton about the letter and if he had an alternative to the on-going nuclear negotiations with Iran. His answer is below.

“Well as Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu said, the alternative to a bad deal is a better deal. The Iranians frequently bluff to walk away from the table. If they bluff this week, call their bluff. The Congress stands ready to impose much more severe sanctions. Moreover we have to stand up to Iran’s attempts to drive for regional dominance. They already control Tehran increasingly they control Damascus and Beirut and Baghdad and now Sana’a as well. They do all that without a nuclear weapon. Imagine what they would do with a nuclear weapon.”

Yes, Mr Cotton, Iran is in control of Tehran. It is the capital of the country. The US controls Washington DC and the Brits control London. Also, Mount Everest is tall.

In fairness to the senator, the remark may not have been exactly what he was trying to say, but Mr Scheiffer did not ask a follow-up question so he did not get a chance to expand on the comment.

Nevertheless, Twitter still had a field day with Mr Cotton’s statement.

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