►►Democratic and Republican lawmakers are deeply divided over U.S. President Donald Trump’s attack on Iran, as Congress is expected to vote on war powers in the coming week.
WASHINGTON-Democrats lashed out at the action, which killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior Iranian officials, arguing that it was not authorized by Congress and warning that Trump was potentially dragging the United States into another protracted Middle Eastern conflict.
Republicans mostly lauded the action, deeming it necessary to attack the Middle Eastern country, which had long been seen as a threat to the United States and its allies.
Democratic Senator Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told CNN on Sunday that he had not received any indication that « Iran was on the verge of launching any kind of pre-emptive strike against the United States of America. »
« When the president commits American forces to a war of choice, he needs to come before Congress and the American people and ask for a declaration of war, » said Warner.
Veteran Democratic Senator Tim Kaine condemned the president’s operation against Iran on Fox News Sunday, describing the U.S. military action as « an illegal war. »
Dismissing Trump’s claim that an Iranian threat was imminent, Kaine said that current intelligence indicates that Iran is about « a decade » away from building missiles that could reach the United States.
Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, former chair of the House Intelligence Committee, told ABC News on Sunday that « there is no imminent threat to the United States that would justify exposing U.S. troops to that kind of risk. »
« The concern here is that we have unleashed factors in the region now that we cannot control, » said Schiff, warning that it risks dragging the United States into another conflict in the Middle East.
In a post on X Sunday, Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, said that he was « heartbroken by the loss of life of multiple service members in the Middle East. »
« No more American heroes need to die because of a reckless decision to go to war. Congress must act this week to restrain this president, » said Jeffries.
In a statement Saturday, the House Democratic leader also noted that the ongoing operation « has left American troops vulnerable to Iran’s retaliatory actions. »
Three U.S. service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded during the ongoing U.S. military operation against Iran, according to the U.S. Central Command.
In a video posted on Truth Social Sunday afternoon, Trump said that there will « likely be more » service members killed before the conflict ends.
By Xinhua
