WILLIAMSBURG, Va.—The U.S. should leave it to Israel to take Iran and its terrorism and nuclear capabilities out of business, retired U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin told oil and gas producers on June 19.

“We cannot get back into another war,” Manchin told Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) members at the organization’s annual meeting.

“You've got one of the most advanced militaries and most lethal militaries in the world with Israel. They can do the job.”

Manchin represented West Virginia from 2010 until this January after not seeking reelection. A lifelong Democrat, he changed his party affiliation to Independent in 2024 and said that, although leaving office, he wasn’t leaving politics. Instead, he intended to travel the U.S. to “mobilize the middle” voters who don’t vote strictly along party lines.

Manchin led the act of Congress that cleared all continued regulatory and judicial blockages of the completion of the last few miles of Mountain Valley Pipeline now delivering Marcellus gas to the southeastern U.S.

Joe Manchin
Former U.S. Senator Joe Manchin on stage at the IPAA annual meeting. (Source: Hart Energy)

Israel’s bombing of Iranian nuclear sites and other targets beginning June 13 lifted WTI to the low $70s from its oil glut fear-induced drop to the high $50s this spring.

“I don't think it's a secret that we're helping Israel. We're on their side and they have to get rid of this Iranian nuclear proliferation,” Manchin said.

Iran is “the most prolific supporter of terrorism around the world,” he said, and “they can basically enrich 100% and be able to do more terror on the world.”

As for Israel, “they're lethal. They can take care of this. We'll give them all the technical support. We'll give them the air support. We'll give them the bombs they need.”

The U.S. can’t afford another war.

“We had two we never paid for,” he said: Iraq and Afghanistan.

He once asked a U.S. general what was the country’s greatest threat. Was it Russia or China or Iran or North Korea?

Manchin said the reply was “the finances of this country will take us down before any foreign military power. … We'll take ourselves down.”

At the time, U.S. debt was $13 trillion. “We’re at $36 [trillion] now.”

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