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Republicans are accusing the Defense Department of unacceptable politicization after learning Iran-proxies have frequently attacked U.S. troops.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that Iran has attacked coalition bases over 80 times since Biden took office. The majority of these attacks have gone without a response.

One American died in an attack on Thursday morning, which went unannounced to Congress members until Friday, when the DoD announced retaliatory strikes.

Senator Tom Cotton stated that he is concerned the message to Iran is that the U.S. will ignore aggression unless American lives are lost.

The senator also believes the DoD played politics by delaying the release of information on last weeks attack. The Senate was taking a vote the day of the attack on an amendment that would have required the Biden administration to certify that Iran-proxy attacks had ceased.

Austin has denied the accusations.

The Senate advanced repealing the Iraq war-authorization without the amendment attached.