Democrats raise alarms about Trump's war in Iran after classified briefing
Democrats slammed the Trump administration’s Iran strategy as “open‑ended” and unclear, while Republicans defended strikes citing Iran’s nuclear threats.
Democratic lawmakers emerged from a classified briefing on the US war in Iran sharply critical of the Trump administration's strategy and rationale for launching the nation into another Middle Eastern conflict, HuffPost reported.
"I'm more convinced now that this is going to be open‑ended and forever," Senator Chris Murphy told reporters after the briefing yesterday (3 March), according to HuffPost.
Murphy described the campaign as a "multi‑trillion‑dollar open‑ended conflict with a very confusing and constantly shifting set of goals," the report said.
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He also criticised the administration for appearing willing to keep hard‑line forces in control of Iran while carrying out permanent air operations to chase [Iran's] missile‑making capability, drone‑making capability and nuclear capabilities, HuffPost added.
Senator Martin Heinrich told reporters he has no greater confidence in the administration's plan now than before the briefing, the article said.
The closed‑door meeting, attended by top Trump administration officials, included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, HuffPost reported.
"Iran is run by lunatics, religious fanatic lunatics," Rubio told reporters.
"They have an ambition to have nuclear weapons. They intend to develop those nuclear weapons behind a program of missiles and drones, and terrorism. That the world will not be able to touch them for fear of those things. And this is the weakest they've ever been. Now is the time to go after them," he added.
Senators from both parties said they were given no clear timetable for the conflict and were told the administration had not ruled out committing US troops on the ground in Iran, the news outlet added.
Senator Josh Hawley described the briefing as "open‑ended" and said the aims appeared ambitious, HuffPost noted.
Senator Tim Kaine rejected Rubio's rationale for launching military strikes without congressional approval, saying the claimed threat was not imminent under any legal definition, according to the report.
Asked if Israel forced his hand in attacking Iran, as Rubio suggested, Trump said the opposite might be true: "Based on the way the negotiation was going, I think [Iran] was going to attack first, and I didn't want that to happen — so if anything, I might've forced Israel's hand," he told reporters at the White House.
Other Democrats criticised the administration for focusing on foreign conflict while cutting domestic programmes, the article added.
Senator John Fetterman was the lone Democrat to defend the strategy, saying he would not support efforts to end hostilities without Congress's explicit authorisation.
