US President Donald Trump said early Saturday that the United States, acting in coordination with Israel, launched a major military campaign against Iran, a move that immediately split lawmakers in Washington between supporters hailing a show of force and critics warning the operation lacked congressional authorization.
The Pentagon dubbed the campaign “Operation Epic Fury,” with Trump announcing its start in an approximately eight-minute video posted to Truth Social, calling it “major combat operations” aimed at dismantling Iran’s missile infrastructure and naval capabilities and preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Trump also warned that US casualties were possible, even as he said the military would seek to limit risk to American forces.
In the same message, he appealed directly to Iranians, urging them to “take over” their government after the operation ends, language that Democrats and some Republicans seized on as evidence the administration was courting regime change without explaining the endgame.
Democrats demanded briefings and a vote
Top Democrats framed the strikes as a constitutional and political test of presidential war powers.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the Constitution assigns Congress the power to declare war and demanded the administration provide “an ironclad justification,” define the objective, and lay out a plan to avoid another prolonged Middle East conflict.
Jeffries said House Democrats intended to force a vote on a bipartisan War Powers Resolution introduced by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-California) and Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky).
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who had been publicly pressing the administration for clarity in the days leading up to the strikes, called for strategy and transparency and pressed for briefings on the operation’s aims.
Other Democrats were sharper. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) called the attack “illegal and unconstitutional,” arguing it was not approved by Congress and carried escalation risks for US forces and civilians in the region.
Sen. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey) said Trump had “started a cycle of violence” that could “spiral out of control” and urged an immediate vote on a war powers measure.
Bipartisan push to rein in further strikes
Massie, a longtime skeptic of open-ended foreign interventions, again positioned himself as a key Republican voice challenging the administration’s legal footing. He has partnered with Khanna on a war powers effort designed to block further US military action.
The debate revived a familiar Washington fault line: whether presidents can initiate major hostilities absent explicit authorization, and how quickly Congress is willing, or able, to assert itself once a campaign is underway.
Axios reported Democrats were pushing for a vote to curb Trump’s authority as Congress returned, with some lawmakers urging the Senate to come back into session to vote.
Under the War Powers Resolution framework, lawmakers often point to requirements for reporting to Congress after US forces are introduced into hostilities and to time limits on continued engagement absent authorization.
Republican leaders backed Trump, with a few exceptions
Republican leadership has largely rallied behind the operation. Senate Majority Leader John Thune praised the decision and said he expected briefings for senators while also thanking Secretary of State Marco Rubio for updates.
House Speaker Mike Johnson argued that Iran had been given opportunities for diplomacy and faulted Tehran for continuing their nuclear ambitions and supporting terrorism.
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the strike campaign a “pivotal and necessary operation” to protect Americans and US interests, according to CBS News.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) also praised the operation as “well-planned,” saying it would be “violent” and “extensive,” in comments reported by CBS.
Still, the reaction was not purely partisan.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) broke with much of his party and publicly backed Trump, saying the president had been willing to do what was “right and necessary,” adding, “God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel.”
What happens next
As Operation Epic Fury unfolded, lawmakers from both parties pressed for classified briefings and signaled a coming fight over whether Congress would attempt to restrict additional action against Iran through privileged war powers procedures.
US officials said the campaign was expected to continue for days, with the White House arguing the strikes were necessary to eliminate threats posed by Iran’s military capabilities.