On Monday’s “Hugh Hewitt Show,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) commented on the pause in strikes on Iran by saying that “it’s better to finish the military operational plan and then just impose the blockade that the president did and then lift it and it’s done again, I think that’s probably still the best course of action.”

Host Hugh Hewitt asked, “How do you assess the quiet period we are in right now, after 13 days of strikes in Iran? There is no more MOU. There are allegedly indirect negotiations going on in a couple of places, who knows? How do you assess the situation?”

Cotton answered, “Well, the president has said that, if Iran backs down, then he won’t strike back at them, at least along the facilities and weapons that they’re using on their southern coast to try to harass shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. And [pause] it was clear to me, at least, that Iran was never going to engage in serious negotiations and it’s better to finish the military operational plan and then just impose the blockade that the president did and then lift it and it’s done again, I think that’s probably still the best course of action. That will make sure that Iran can’t militarily threaten the United States or our friends, can’t build a nuclear weapon for many, many years, and, also that oil gets through the Strait of Hormuz and keeps prices of gas and diesel and other products down for America’s consumers and businesses.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett