Sen. Chris Murphy is facing sharp backlash after reacting positively to a disputed report claiming that dozens of Iranian vessels slipped past the U.S. naval blockade, a response he later said was meant as sarcasm.

The controversy began when Murphy responded on X to a report by Lloyd’s List, a maritime publication, which claimed that at least 26 Iranian “shadow fleet” ships had evaded U.S. enforcement.

“Awesome,” Murphy (D-Conn.) posted on X in response to a report from the shipping journal Lloyd’s List claiming that at least 26 so-called “shadow fleet” vessels had eluded the American shipping siege.

After drawing widespread criticism, Murphy said his comment was not meant to praise Iran or the situation, but rather to criticize the handling of the conflict.

“Ok Twitter, I can’t believe I need to clarify this but obviously Trump’s bungled mismanagement of this war is not ‘awesome,’” Murphy posted on X.

“As I have said a million times here, it’s a disaster and he should end the war immediately. My tweet was something called ‘sarcasm.’”

He later acknowledged the confusion his comment caused, telling a reporter, “I just have to be more careful about sarcasm on Twitter” in the future.

The Pentagon also rejected the underlying report. Chief spokesperson Sean Parnell dismissed it as “false” and criticized Murphy’s reaction as “shameful” in a social media response.

Even within Democratic circles, the post drew criticism. One Democratic staffer told The Post that Murphy’s comment was inappropriate given the seriousness of the issue, saying, “Stupid sarcasm over life or death issues is beneath a senator.”

The same staffer added that while Murphy may have intended sarcasm, the political context made the remark problematic: “Was it sarcasm? Certainly,” the staffer insisted. “But when so many on the far-left have been openly cheering for the Iranian regime (see Calla Walsh), and when Murphy has shown a willingness to play to the far-left when it suits him politically, Republicans can hardly be blamed for taking him at his word.

“If a Republican had posted something like this in reverse, you bet … Dems would be hitting them for it.”

Murphy, a vocal critic of the war with Iran, has repeatedly condemned U.S. policy in recent weeks. During a trip to Spain, he warned that the United States is facing “the most significant threat to American democracy since the Civil War.”

“We are not on the verge of a totalitarian takeover, we are in the middle of it,” he fumed, urging global progressives to “beat back the forces of fascism.”

Murphy serves on several key foreign policy panels, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, and had previously been mentioned as a potential secretary of state candidate if Kamala Harris had won the 2024 election.

The initial post triggered a wave of criticism online, with detractors accusing Murphy of appearing to support a hostile regime.

Sen. Rick Scott condemned the remark, calling Murphy an “embarrassment to the Senate” and accusing him of “rooting for enemy terrorists who target and kill Americans.” He added, “He should be stripped of his assignment to the Foreign Relations Committee NOW!”

Republicans echoed that criticism through official channels, writing, “Senate Democrats are expected to disagree with Republicans. But cheering for our enemy, especially for a regime that has killed so many American citizens, is beyond the pale. Democrats in Congress ought to condemn this disgusting remark,” the Senate GOP X account said.

Conservative commentators also piled on. “’Go Iran!’ exclaimed the United States Senator,” wrote pundit Stephen L. Miller. Chaya Raichik added, “You’re a traitor,” while Laura Loomer wrote, “You should be removed from the Senate. You are a national security threat.”

Will Chamberlain commented, “Really is awesome to have an Iranian agent in the United States Senate. Much diversity!” and Ian Miles Cheong added, “I wonder how US troops feel about one of their elected senators actively rooting against them.”

The controversy comes as tensions continue to rise following the U.S. decision to impose a blockade on Iran last week. President Donald Trump ordered the move after Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil chokepoint through which a significant share of the world’s energy supply passes.

{Matzav.com}