Top Democrats Not Briefed Before US Strikes On Iranian Nuclear Sites: Report
US President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday night, notifying top congressional Republicans, but not Democrats, before the attacks, CNN reported.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune were briefed before the strikes, per GOP sources.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries were reportedly notified shortly before Trump's public announcement, after the bombs had dropped, as per Politico.
Senator Mark Warner and Representative Jim Himes, leaders on the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, respectively - both part of the "Gang of Eight" - were similarly kept in the dark until after the strike.
The strikes, which targeted Iran's nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, have sharply divided lawmakers along party lines. Republicans largely supported Trump's decision, praising the action as decisive and necessary.
Johnson defended the strikes on X, "Leaders in Congress were aware of the urgency of this situation and the Commander-in-Chief evaluated that the imminent danger outweighed the time it would take for Congress to act. The President fully respects the Article I power of Congress, and tonight's necessary, limited, and targeted strike follows the history and tradition of similar military actions under presidents of both parties".
John Thune, Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, and several GOP lawmakers also praised the action. Alexandria-based Representative Rick Crawford confirmed he had been in touch with the White House beforehand.
Democrats responded with sharp criticism.
Senator Warner condemned the strike as reckless, carried out "without consulting Congress, without a clear strategy, and without explaining to the American people what's at stake." He called on the president to immediately appear before Congress to outline his objectives.
Senator Tim Kaine, who had introduced a resolution last week requiring Trump to seek congressional approval before any action against Iran, called on his intent to force a Senate vote. "I will push for all Senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war," he said.
Representative Sean Casten of Illinois went as far as to call the action an " impeachable offense," while Independent Senator Bernie Sanders called it " grossly unconstitutional."
House Minority Leader Jeffries warned of retaliation against US troops in the region and accused Trump of misleading the country. "Donald Trump promised to bring peace to the Middle East. He has failed to deliver," Jeffries said. "The risk of war has now dramatically increased."
Despite the near-unanimous Democratic opposition, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the exception. "As I've long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS," Fetterman posted on X. "Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities."
The Israel-Iran conflict, now in its 10th day, intensified over the weekend as the United States entered the battlefield. President Trump ordered airstrikes on Iran's nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan using B-2 bombers from Guam. He called the mission a "spectacular military success," claiming the facilities were "obliterated."
The strikes came just after Israel launched over 150 missiles at Iran's Isfahan site on June 21, its second attack in eight days, reportedly killing scientists and damaging nuclear infrastructure.
In response, Iran fired a wave of missiles and drones at Israeli targets, including 27 ballistic missiles aimed at Ben Gurion Airport, some of which breached Israel's famed Iron Dome.
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