President Donald Trump authorized airstrikes against Iran last Friday, as revealed by General Dan Keen of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. These operations were classified and, similar to earlier military actions in Venezuela, Congress was not informed beforehand. As the strikes commenced, representatives from both the Republican and Democratic parties raised alarms, demanding immediate explanations regarding the circumvention of Congressional oversight on such critical decisions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio initially briefed party leadership on the administration's rationale for launching immediate attacks without warning. He described the strikes as a necessary defensive measure, given that Israel was preparing its own military response, asserting, "We had absolutely unavoidable threats. We knew that if Iran was attacked — and we knew that was going to happen — they would immediately respond against us. We were not going to sit and wait. There would have been even more casualties. We took active measures in defense mode."

This situation has sparked a broader debate within Congress about the powers of the executive branch versus legislative oversight, particularly in matters of military engagement. The lack of transparency raises significant questions about the current administration's approach to foreign military actions and the potential implications for US-Iran relations moving forward.