Sen. Mitch McConnell: Attacking Iran's military capabilities is 'very important'

Monica Kast, Lexington Herald-Leader on Apr 8, 2026

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Sen. Mitch McConnell offered his support of the war in Iran while appearing at the University of Kentucky on Wednesday.

A two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is now in effect after weeks of fighting, and earlier this week President Donald Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s “whole civilization.” The U.S. and Israel first attacked Iran on Feb. 29 in an effort to overthrow the government. The fighting has since spread to a regional conflict and resulted in thousands of deaths.

McConnell was on the Lexington campus Wednesday to discuss recently announced federal funding for projects at UK and Blue Grass Airport, though he also took questions on Iran. McConnell will retire at the end of this year as the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history.

“Let me just say, with regard to the current conflict, I support taking the fight to Iran,” McConnell said. “As far as the daily back and forth ... I do believe diminishing Iran’s military capability is very important and worth doing.”

Also offering his support, McConnell said he was grateful the defense spending of NATO had been increased, and thanked the organization for its involvement.

“Alliances are extremely important,” McConnell said. “NATO has been the most effective treaty of its type in the history of the world, 80 years old. I’m grateful that the members of NATO are increasing their defense spending. We all needed to do that. We do too to meet today’s threats.”

Funding for research at UK, airport expansion

UK will receive more than $100 million in federal funding, which includes $65 million for a second Healthy Kentucky Research Building, while the airport will get $5.4 million for the construction of a new air traffic control tower.

The federal funding comes as Kentucky has proposed cuts to higher education in the state budget, including decreases to the general funds in the next two fiscal years. Public universities would lose millions under the plan.

Additionally, this week the university confirmed a UK research lab is slated for closure under sweeping federal overhaul of the U.S. Forest Service. UK’s Forest Health Research and Education Center is listed for closure, though it’s not yet clear when that will occur.

The new health research facility at UK that received the federal funding will support expanded opportunities for faculty and staff, President Eli Capilouto said.

“This is a real shot in the arm for us to have additional infrastructure,” Capilouto said. “It also makes possible the recruitment of talent — faculty and students — with their unbounded curiosity, and what moves me day after day is how much our students care about Kentucky, the healthier, wealthier and wiser Kentucky that we dream about. In them, I’m confident it’s going to be a reality.”

The construction of the new tower will create space to add additional gates at the airport, President & CEO Eric Frankl said. At the end of the expansion, the airport will go from 10 gates to 14 larger gates, with capacity to accommodate larger aircraft.

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