DID Press: Several members of the United States Congress said no convincing justification was presented for launching a new war in the Middle East following a closed-door briefing with the US secretary of state and the director of the Central Intelligence Agency on developments related to Iran.
Democratic Representative Jim Himes said past Middle East wars have rarely produced positive outcomes for US presidents or the country, adding that lawmakers have yet to hear a persuasive explanation for why the United States should enter another conflict in the region at this time.
Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, said the issue was “extremely serious” and that the White House must be able to convincingly make its case to the public.
Senator Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, described the situation as an “extraordinarily sensitive moment” for the Middle East and the United States, urging the president to clearly outline Washington’s objectives and interests should it enter a war with Iran and how US interests in the region would be protected.