Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, two 2024 US Republican presidential candidates, presented a united front during a CNN GOP presidential debate ahead of Iowa caucuses on Wednesday, on whether they would order retaliatory US strikes inside Iran if elected the next US president, citing increasing attacks on the US bases in the Middle East as a pretext.

"When it comes to Iran, what we have to understand: there would be no [Palestinian movement] Hamas without Iran, there would be Houthis without Iran, there wouldn't be [Lebanese Shia movement] Hezbollah without Iran. And when you look at the strikes that are happening in Iraq and Syria, that is because of Iran. They're pulling the puppet strings ... We need to go and take out every bit of the production that they have that's allowing them to do those strikes," Haley told the debate when asked whether she would order retaliatory US strikes inside Iran.

DeSantis, on his part, said that "after the attacks against Israel, anyone with half a brain knows Iran is behind this," adding that they "fund Hamas, they fund Hezbollah," of course completely the 23,000 Palestinians killed so far.

"I would never put our troops in harm's way like [incumbent US President Joe] Biden is doing in the Middle East without defending them with everything they got. If you harm a hair on the head of one of our service members, you are gonna be have held to pay," DeSantis said when asked the same question.

This rhetoric comes amid increasing attacks on US bases and forces in Iraq and Syria after the Iraqi Resistance and other groups declared since day one that all US presence in the region would be dealt with as 'legitimate targets", given Washington's key role in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. They also repeatedly conditioned stopping the operations on ending the war on Gaza.

Despite repeatedly accusing Iran of being behind these attacks, the Islamic Republic has over and over again categorically denied having "a hand in actions or attacks against US military forces in Syria or elsewhere.”

Haley, DeSantis vow to fight 'illegal migration'

Also adopting the same position on what they dubbed "illegal migration" to the US, Haley said, "We need to put 25,000 border patrol and ICE [the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents on the ground and let them do their job. We need to defund sanctuary cities once and for all. No more safe havens for illegal immigrants. We need to make sure we go back to the 'Remain in Mexico' policy so that no one even steps foot on US soil. And instead of 'catch and release,' we need to go to 'catch and deport.' That's the only way we'll stop the incentives of these illegal immigrants coming across."

Meanwhile, DeSantis told the debate that "you need a wall" to stop illegal migration into the US as it is "a physical fact of life" if it is there, adding that "you can't trust politicians to do this."

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He also said, when asked whether his administration would allow millions of undocumented migrants to stay in the country, that the "number of people that will be amnestied when I'm president is zero," adding that "we cannot do an amnesty in this country."

When asked the same question, Haley answered, "You have to deport them, and the reason you have to deport them is they're cutting the line."

Haley says wants to debate against Trump

Nikki Haley, former US ambassador to the United Nations and Republican presidential candidate in the 2024 elections, said she wished her rival, Donald Trump, participated in the presidential debate to "defend his record" during a CNN Grand Old Party (Republicans) debate on Wednesday.

Haley indirectly challenged the former President by constantly mentioning that he should have been participating.

In response to a question asking for Haley's assessment of Trump's character and if it is fit for the presidency, Haley said, "This is not the time where you have to have pettiness. I wish Donald Trump was up here on this stage. He's the one that I'm running against. He's the one that I wish would be here. He needs to be defending his record," adding that the next US president should have "moral clarity", seemingly low-blowing Trump. 

This was before she took the stage facing her counterpart, presidential candidate and Florida governor Ron DeSantis. 

So far, Trump leads the presidential vote among Republicans, with Haley coming in second with 12% approval, and DeSantis ranking last at 10%.

Haley: Trump is chaotic and divisive

However, Haley has shown progress in the presidential race in opinion polls, largely from support by college-educated, affluent, suburban professionals - those who are already tired of former US President Donald Trump's rhetoric and legal issues.

Having a shot at gaining traction in the 2024 Republican contest, as per supporters and opponents, means she needs to expand that coalition by bringing in more voters residing in rural areas, who are middle- or working-class, or those without college degrees, per eight pollsters and strategists interviewed by Reuters. 

Before the Republican nominating event in Iowa on January 15, Haley will be visiting areas that are more Trump-friendly as she launched a "Farmers for Nikki" coalition in November, while her campaign has been flooding billboards and ads in rural areas to make her more appealing and known.

She brought up matters of issues in the public healthcare system for veterans, and she stepped up her criticisms of Trump recently as well stating that his style is too chaotic and divisive, which lessens his effectiveness in the race.

Read more: If elected, Nikki Haley pledges to pardon Trump