WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The and its allies in Congress presented a shifting new justification Monday for the , with House suggesting that the White House believed Israel was determined to act on its own, leaving the president with a 鈥渧ery difficult decision.”
The Republican was speaking late Monday after a classified briefing at the Capitol, the first for congressional leaders since the start of the war, a joint U.S.-Israel military campaign that and has quickly spiraled into a widening Middle East conflict. Hundreds have died, including at least
Johnson said the attack on Iran was a 鈥渄efensive operation鈥� because Israel was ready to act against Iran, 鈥渨ith or without American support.鈥� He said President Donald Trump and his team determined that Iran would immediately retaliate against U.S. personnel and assets.
鈥淭he commander in chief has said this is going to be an operation that is short in duration,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淲e certainly hope that鈥檚 true.鈥�
The remarkable shift in the Trump administration’s stated rationale comes as the hostilities deepen and widen across the region. The president himself estimated the war could drag on for weeks. The administration plans to seek supplemental funds from Congress to support the military effort, lawmakers said, in stark contrast to not to entangle the U.S. in actions abroad.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the 鈥渉ardest hits are yet to come鈥� as the U.S. is determined to continue for as long as it takes with an 鈥渆ven more punishing鈥� next phase in the war.
Rubio described what was essentially a potentially ripple effect that he said posed an 鈥渋mminent threat” to the U.S.
鈥淲e knew that there was going to be an Israeli action,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd we knew that if we didn鈥檛 preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.鈥�
Rubio said that while the U.S. would like to see the Iranian people rise up and be rid of the regime, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 not the objective,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he objective of this mission is to make sure they don鈥檛 have these weapons that can threaten us and our allies in the region.鈥�
Trump’s shifting rationale sparks detractors
Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other administration officials delivered the classified briefing as Congress weighs a that would restrain Trump鈥檚 ability to keep waging war without approval from the House and Senate.
Trump himself, speaking at the White House, laid out four objectives for the war, saying U.S. forces are out to destroy Iran鈥檚 missile capabilities, wipe out its naval capacity, stop the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ensure “that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.鈥�
鈥淭his was our last, best chance to strike 鈥� what we鈥檙e doing right now 鈥� and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,鈥� Trump said.
Trump met repeatedly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they sought to curb Iran’s nuclear program, including .
Hegseth earlier Monday vowed this is even as he warned more U.S. casualties are likely in the weeks ahead.
But Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said: 鈥淭here was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians. There was a threat to Israel.鈥�
Warner said he has now heard four or five stated reasons for the attack. He demanded that Trump 鈥渃ome before Congress, and for that matter, the American people,鈥� to make his case for war 鈥� and the exit plan.
Several Democrats delivered blistering speeches against the war. 鈥淎re we now such an enfeebled nation that Israel decides when we go to war?鈥� said Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, voice rising.
War powers as a check on presidential power
The moment is for Congress, which alone has the authority under the U.S. Constitution to declare war, and for , who has consistently seized power during his second term with his own executive reach.
Trump took the nation to war at a particularly vulnerable time, as the Department of Homeland Security is operating without routine funds because of over their demands to restrain his . The potential wartime costs in terms of lives lost and dollars spent are dividing the parties, and potentially Americans themselves.
Unlike the run-up to , which included long debates in Congress in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, or the more recent that proved to be limited, the joint , called Operation Epic Fury, is well underway, with no foreseeable end in sight.
鈥淚t鈥檚 worrisome,鈥� Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told The Associated Press.
Smith said of Trump: 鈥淗e is not trying to making his case to the Congress or the American people. He unilaterally decided to do this.鈥�
In fact, Congress has declared war just five times in the nation’s history, most recently in 1941, to enter World War II a day after the Pearl Harbor attack. Over time, presidents of both major political parties have accumulated vast authority to engage in what are often more limited U.S. military strikes.
Johnson said tying Trump’s hands right now would be 鈥渇rightening” as he works to defeat the war powers resolution.
Even if Congress is able to pass the measure this week, the House and the Senate would be unlikely to tally the two-thirds majority needed to overcome a presidential veto.
Next steps for Iranian people uncertain
As the Trump administration encourages the Iranian people to rise up and choose new leaders, there did not appear to be widespread U.S. support for any effort at democracy- or nation-building.
鈥淲e would love to see this regime be replaced,” Rubio said. 鈥淚f there鈥檚 something we can do to help them down the road, we’d obviously be open to it. But that鈥檚 not the objective.”
A top Trump ally, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he never bought into the you-break-it-you-own-it concept in wartime.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 a threat to America, deal with it,” he said over the weekend. “That doesn鈥檛 mean you own everything that follows.鈥�
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Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
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