Tag: Iran

Trump administration lays broad legal grounds for military strike on Iran

Washington Post logoAs it has contemplated military action against Iran, the Trump administration has opened the door to virtually every legal authority it might use to justify an attack, from tying Iran to al-Qaeda, to President Trump’s assertion that it would not involve American ground troops and “wouldn’t last very long.”

Democrats and some Republicans have tried repeatedly to pin the administration down, including last week’s unsuccessful attempt to muster 60 Senate votes for an amendment requiring Trump to ask Congress before launching any military engagement.

When asked directly about legal justification, senior administration officials have offered undetailed assurances that any action would “consistent with our Constitution,” as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last month, or they deferred to lawyers.

View the complete July 3 article by Karen DeYoung and Missy Ryan on The Washington Post website here.

Trump admits he lacks exit strategy for an Iran war

Candidate Trump harshly criticized ‘stupid wars’ in Middle East that U.S. couldn’t untangle

President Donald Trump admitted Tuesday he has no plan for how to get out of war with Iran if one breaks out, even though he campaigned on ending protracted American wars in the Middle East that he long has called “stupid.”

Hours after he responded to insults by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani by warning him of “obliteration” if a shooting conflict starts, CQ Roll Call asked Trump this during an unrelated event in the Oval Office: “Do you have an exit strategy for Iran, if war does break out?”

Trump, who called off a retaliatory military strike Thursday following Iran’s shootdown of an American spy drone in disputed waters, had his third hawkish warning for Iran of the day.

View the complete June 25 article by John T. Bennett on The Roll Call website here.

Trump sets new red line, threatening Iran with “obliteration”

Axios logoPresident Trump tweeted on Tuesday that any “attack by Iran on anything American will be met with great and overwhelming force.”

Why it matters: It’s a new red line for Trump in the latest round of heightened tensions with Iran. The president previously called off a military strike in response to the downing of a U.S. drone, claiming the death toll would be disproportionate. His tweet on Tuesday strikes a markedly new tone.

“Iran leadership doesn’t understand the words “nice” or “compassion,” they never have. Sadly, the thing they do understand is Strength and Power, and the USA is by far the most powerful Military Force in the world, with 1.5 Trillion Dollars invested over the last two years alone. The wonderful Iranian people are suffering, and for no reason at all. Their leadership spends all of its money on Terror, and little on anything else. The U.S. has not forgotten Iran’s use of IED’s & EFP’s (bombs), which killed 2000 Americans, and wounded many more. Iran’s very ignorant and insulting statement, put out today, only shows that they do not understand reality. Any attack by Iran on anything American will be met with great and overwhelming force. In some areas, overwhelming will mean obliteration. No more John Kerry & Obama!”

View the complete June 25 article on the Axios website here.

EXCLUSIVE: Trump: I do not need congressional approval to strike Iran

The Hill logoPresident Trump told Hill.TV in an exclusive interview Monday that he does not need congressional approval to strike Iran.

When asked if he believes he has the authority to initiate military action against Iran without first going to Congress, Trump said, “I do.”

“But we’ve been keeping Congress abreast of what we’re doing … and I think it’s something they appreciate,” he said in an exclusive interview outside the Oval Office. “I do like keeping them abreast, but I don’t have to do it legally.”

View the complete June 24 article by Saagar Enjeti and Jordan Fabian on The Hill website here.

Trump slaps new sanctions on Iran

The Hill logoPresident Trump on Monday announced additional U.S. sanctions against Iran targeting the country’s supreme leader and other high-ranking officials.

Trump signed an executive order in the Oval Office that he said will deny the supreme leader and others access to financial instruments. Trump had previously signaled he would levy additional sanctions on Iran amid simmering tensions between Washington and Tehran.

“The supreme leader of Iran is one who ultimately is responsible for the hostile conduct of the regime,” Trump said. “He’s respected within his country. His office oversees the regime’s most brutal instruments.”

View the complete June 24 article by Brett Samuels on The Hill website here.

Trump confirms he pulled back strikes on Iran, but there are still a lot of conflicting reports

Trump was told strikes against Iran would kill 150, which seemed a “not proportionate” response for the downing of an unmanned drone.

In a series of tweets on Friday morning, President Donald Trump casually mentioned that he had ordered air strikes on Iran, but that he called them off 10 minutes prior to execution.

“We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die,” he wrote. “150 people, sir, was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it, not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone.”

He went on to write that the U.S. military is “ready to go” and “Iran can NEVER have Nuclear Weapons.”

Rep. Phillips Calls for Cohesive, Responsible Strategy on Iran

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) released the following statement today after the President’s decision to approve and then cancel a military strike on Iran:

“I am growing increasingly concerned about the potential for conflict with Iran and the likelihood of miscalculations by the leaders of both countries. Our President has lost credibility with our most valued allies, and is proving to be an ineffective leader by leaving the Secretary of Defense post vacant for six months, withdrawing from our diplomatic agreement with Iran, sending mixed signals about potential military action, and sharing tactical information on Twitter. I am determined to ensure Congress reasserts itself as a co-equal branch of government, and that no offensive military action be taken without our explicit approval.”

Schumer pushes for vote to make clear Trump needs congressional approval for Iran War

Democrats returning from a White House meeting on the same page about limitations of current authorizations

Returning to Capitol Hill after a meeting at the White House about the shooting down of an American drone, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumerincreased the pressure for a floor vote to make clear that authorization would be needed for military action against Iran.

The New York Democrat highlighted an amendment that has been filed to the fiscal 2020 defense policy bill led by Sens. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Tim Kaine, D-Va. The Senate is expected to proceed to the Pentagon legislation Monday evening.

“We told the room that the Democratic position is that congressional approval must be required before funding any conflict in Iran,” Schumer said. “One of the best ways to avoid bumbling into war, a war that nobody wants, is to have a robust, open debate, and for Congress to have a real say.”

View the complete June 20 article by Niels Lesniewski on The Roll Call website here.