President Trump is putting real pressure on the Iranian regime through a tough naval blockade, and one Republican lawmaker is giving the strategy a thumbs-up while offering some pointed advice.

On a recent edition of CNN’s The Lead, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska sat down with Jake Tapper to discuss the latest moves against Tehran.

Tapper framed the conversation this way: “Trump is essentially saying that now the strategy is, you know, giving Iran the old talk-to-the-hand treatment. What do you make of this? Is this what you would advise him to do?”

“I think this is a better strategy than what we have had. The blockade is probably the easier thing for us to enforce. Right now we’ve been able to choke almost all the traffic going in and out of Iran. That’s good. Their economy is really struggling. It’s going to really weaken the regime,” Bacon stated.

“However, I would say that Iran had been fairly effective up until now, shutting off about 90% of the flow of traffic, but we’re starting to see more traffic get in and out of there and that’s a good thing.”

“The problem, I think, with the president early in this fight, he overpromised that it’s going to be a quick fight. And then he tried to go it alone without trying to bring in Democrats or trying to involve Congress, and you can’t fight a war in a partisan manner.”

The blockade is grinding down Iran’s ability to move goods and oil. An economy under that kind of squeeze leaves the mullahs weaker and less able to bankroll terror proxies across the region.

Bacon made clear he likes the direction:

“I think the president is on to a strategy of blockade. I also recommend, say less. There should be fewer people talking on this because there’s contradictory messages going out there. Speak softly, but carry a big stick.”

Those last words echo Teddy Roosevelt’s famous line, and they fit the moment. America does not need a daily press conference detailing every move.

Quiet strength and relentless economic pressure get results. Loud promises of a lightning-fast victory only hand the other side talking points when the timeline stretches.

Right populists have long argued that endless talk and partisan gamesmanship in Washington weaken America’s hand abroad.

Bacon’s critique of the early go-it-alone approach lands because wars are not won by one party’s press releases.

Bringing Congress into the conversation builds durability. That does not mean handing the keys to the opposition; it means forcing every member to put their name on the line instead of carping from the sidelines.