Rubio, the secretary of state, said the U.S faced an “imminent threat” from Iran because Iran would retaliate against American forces in the event an anticipated strike by Israel. Intelligence indicated Iran had pre-authorized field commanders to launch automatic attacks on U.S. assets, which justified a preemptive defensive strike to avoid higher U.S. casualties.
“The imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked — and we believed they would be attacked — that they would immediately come after us, and we were not going to sit there and absorb a blow before we respond,” Rubio told reporters Monday.
His comments come amid a Capitol Hill push – with some Republican support – to pass a resolution condemning Trump and limiting his power in further military action.
Most Republicans, including leadership, supported the strikes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson affirmed the administration had notified the "Gang of Eight" leaders, claiming compliance with the 48-hour notification requirement of the War Powers Act.
However, notable dissent has come from Kentucky Republicans, Thomas Massie in the House and Rand Paul in the Senate. A Senate vote on a resolution could come as early as Tuesday. A House vote on a companion measure could come Wednesday or Thursday.
Representatives Warren Davidson of Ohio and Don Bacon of Nebraska and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina are other Republicans who have expressed concerns about the strikes and may support the resolutions in their respective chambers.
The War Powers Act requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying U.S. armed forces into hostilities or situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated.
A report from the president must include: the circumstances under which hostilities were initiated, the estimated scope and duration of the military action and the constitutional and legal authority justifying the deployment.
“President (Donald) Trump has not broken any laws. President Trump has been the most transparent president that we have seen in decades,” Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Indiana) told AFR show host Jenna Ellis.
Iranian attacks through the years
A Foundation for Defense of Democracies report lists 45 attacks against Americans initiated by either the Islamic government of Iran or its proxies since the regime rose to power in 1979. The storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979, a suicide car bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in 1983, a truck bomb exploding at a U.S. Air Force housing complex in Saudi Arabia and travel funding for 9-11 terrorists are the just a few examples.
The most recent attack on the list occurred last June when U.S. bases in Syria and Iraq were attacked with missiles or drones believed to have originated from Iranian-backed militias.
“We should all be celebrating that the Hitler of our day has been eliminated and that there's an opportunity for freedom in Iran, not only for the Iranian people, but the threat to the Middle East is gone, the threat to America is gone,” Stutzman said.
A Congressional resolution condemning Trump, even if it should come to pass, will not bring back almost 50 members of the Iranian government, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who have been killed since the strikes began. But it could damage Operation Epic Fury by perception, Stutzman said, which could undermine the U.S. management of the war.
Trump on Monday projected a four-to-five-week time frame for its military operations against Iran.
Stutzman said he believes the attacks are the beginning of stability in the Middle East. Previous efforts by the Trump administration to build relationships in the region have been beneficial, Stutzman said.
Iran on an island
Reports show Iran has launched strikes that either intercepted or reached targets in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq and Jordan.
“It shows that Iran was totally on an island by themselves. They've isolated themselves because besides Russia and China, which they were just their big gas station, especially for China,” Stutzman said.
He chided Great Britian, France and Germany for being “afraid to step up” after U.S. bombings last June took out three Iranian nuclear sites.
If Western Europe didn’t understand that Trump was serious regarding Iranian nuclear capabilities, they apparently were not alone. Even after Operation Midnight Hammer, the Iranians pushed forward.
“They just continued to lie and drag their feet; say they're not doing this and they want this. Finally, it's like, you know what? You all continue to give us just a bunch of words. We know behind the scenes you're rebuilding your missile capability and your nuclear, your capability, and we have to put it to a stop,” Stutzman said.
