Unauthorized war or justified action? US Congress split on Iran strikes

The US and Israel launched the attack on Saturday, with Trump openly stating that the operation was aimed at bringing about regime change in Iran to eliminate “imminent threats” to the American people. The attacks have killed over 200 people, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. Tehran responded by launching retaliatory strikes against targets in Israel as well as US bases across the Middle East.

Iran called the attack a blatant violation of its sovereignty. Russia and China condemned it as an “unprovoked act of aggression.” The UK, France, and Germany criticized Iran’s retaliatory strikes on neighboring countries, stopping just short of endorsing the US and Israeli actions.

‘Decisive action’

High-ranking Republicans in Congress have lined up behind Trump, commending his decision as a necessary step. Senate Majority Leader John Thune accused Iran of refusing to engage in diplomacy and stated that the president was thwarting “threats” allegedly coming from Tehran.

Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Roger Wicker hailed what he called a “decisive action” and one of the “hardest decisions” taken by Trump, referring to the strikes as “a pivotal and necessary operation to protect Americans and American interests.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson said the Trump administration had briefed the ‘Gang of Eight’ – a group of eight congressional leaders who are legally required to be informed about classified intelligence issues – on the strikes earlier this week, while talks with Tehran were still ongoing. He nevertheless claimed that Washington “made every effort” to pursue a peaceful solution, stating that Tehran was facing “severe consequences for its evil actions.”

‘Another endless and costly war’

Democratic leaders in the House and the Senate criticized Trump for not being transparent enough about the operation’s goals and strategy, arguing that it could turn into a new endless war. They also called for invoking the 1973 legislation limiting the use of the armed forces without congressional approval.

“The American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement, arguing that the Trump administration “has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries maintained that, even though Iran “must be aggressively confronted,” the White House “must seek authorization” from Congress for the operation, which “constitutes an act of war.”

Senator Jack Reed, a ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, accused Trump of thrusting the US “into a major war with Iran,” with “no endgame” and “against the clear wishes of the American people.” He also vowed “rigorous oversight” of the operation.

This is not ‘America First’

Democrats are now seeking a vote on a resolution aimed at removing US military forces “from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.” It was originally introduced by Representative Thomas Massie – one of the few dissenters in the Republican camp – last summer, when Washington joined West Jerusalem in another bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic.

The resolution is based on the 1973 War Powers Act, which limits any military action lacking congressional authorization to 60 days. It also introduced a mechanism for Congress to force presidents to immediately terminate any unauthorized deployments. The lawmakers would still need two-thirds majorities in the House and the Senate to override a presidential veto.

Democratic Representative Ro Khanna urged the House to convene on Monday to vote on the resolution. Jeffries said in his statement that House Democrats were “committed to compelling a vote” on the issue. Massie took to X on Saturday to express his opposition to the strikes and vowed to work with Khanna to “force” a vote on the resolution. “This is not ‘America First’,” he wrote.

Article 1 of the US Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to declare war. Trump defended his decision by claiming that the goal of the operation was to protect the American people by eliminating “imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”

Tehran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons, insisting its program is for peaceful purposes, even as it boosted its uranium enrichment to 60% purity after Trump unilaterally abandoned the 2015 nuclear deal. The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard, also stated last year that there was no evidence Tehran was working on a nuclear weapon.