Tennessee’s Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn voiced her concerns regarding what she termed as the newly formed “axis of evil,” encompassing China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, declaring it a critical issue for the United States.
With the recent meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok serving as a backdrop, she alerted the audience of “The Chris Salcedo Show” to the increasing efforts to undermine U.S. worldwide dominance.
“This is something we need to scrutinize closely,” emphasized Blackburn. “Especially with the movements of Kim Jong Un in Russia, exploring potential alliances. It brings to mind the situations in Ukraine… as well as developments in the Indo-Pacific region including concerns involving Taiwan and South Korea.”
Furthermore, Blackburn criticized Putin and his cohort for allegedly entering nations to “seize territory and abduct individuals” rather than fostering freedom. She also pointed out their investments in developing advanced weaponry, which might threaten the U.S. in the future.
Blackburn remarked, “It is clear that Iran is collaborating with Russia to produce drones on Russian soil – with China financially backing the venture.” She added, referencing a report from The Washington Post published in August, that the production goal is set at 6,000 variants of the Iranian attack drone named Geran-2.
She also highlighted recent actions by the Biden administration, which sanctioned a waiver facilitating the transfer of $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets to Qatar, intending to secure the release of five Americans held in Iran.
Raising questions about the large fund transfer to Tehran, Blackburn inquired, “What are they planning to do with these funds?” She speculated that the Iranian government is unlikely to utilize the funds for humanitarian purposes, but rather, they might employ it in strategies targeted against the U.S.
