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Trump administration postpones classified briefings for lawmakers on Iran

Trump administration postpones classified briefings for lawmakers on Iran
President Donald Trump announced that the United States attacked three key nuclear facilities in Iran. Our objective was the destruction of Iran's. Nuclear enrichment capacity and *** stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror. During his White House address following Operation Midnight Hammer with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth standing behind him, Trump warned that the US could launch more strikes. If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision. Speed and skill. While the president says Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated, *** full impact assessment is still ongoing. Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage. And destruction. Trump's senior officials have repeatedly said the mission was not about *** regime change in Iran, but in *** post-S Sunday evening, Trump alluded to the possibility, writing, quote, It's not politically correct to use the term regime change, but if the current Iranian regime is unable to make Iran great again, why wouldn't there be *** regime change?
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Updated: 2:21 PM CDT Jun 24, 2025
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Trump administration postpones classified briefings for lawmakers on Iran
AP logo
Updated: 2:21 PM CDT Jun 24, 2025
Editorial Standards 鈸�
The Trump administration on Tuesday postponed classified briefings for Senate and House members as lawmakers look for more answers about President Donald Trump's directed strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend and his announcement on Monday that the two countries had reached a ceasefire agreement.Both briefings were canceled. The Senate briefing has been rescheduled for Thursday so that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio can attend, according to multiple people with knowledge of the scheduling change who would only discuss it on the condition of anonymity. It is unclear when the House will be briefed.Trump proclaimed on social media that Israel and Iran had agreed that there will be an 鈥淥fficial END鈥� of their conflict. That tentative truce briefly faltered Tuesday when Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace, but Trump later declared it was 鈥渋n effect!鈥漈he separate briefings for the House and Senate were to be led by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, along with Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and deputy secretaries of state Christopher Landau and Steve Feinberg.Democrats in Congress, along with some Republicans, have many questions about Trump鈥檚 unilateral decision to launch military action, arguing he should have gone to Congress for approval 鈥� or at least provided more justification for the attacks. Congress has not received any new intelligence since Gabbard told lawmakers in March that the U.S. believed Iran was not building a new nuclear weapon, according to two people familiar with the intelligence. The people insisted on anonymity to share what Congress has been told.Video below: Trump says Iran will never rebuild its nuclear programSenate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said it is 鈥渙utrageous鈥� that the administration postponed the briefings.鈥淭here is a legal obligation for the administration to inform Congress about precisely what is happening,鈥� Schumer said. 鈥淲hat are they afraid of? Why won鈥檛 they engage Congress in the critical details?鈥滳alifornia Rep. Pete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic caucus, said that lawmakers "need evidence, we need details and we need to know them now.鈥滿any lawmakers feel they have been left in the dark on what led to the strikes and amid escalating tensions between the White House and Congress over the role of the United States internationally 鈥� disagreements that don鈥檛 always fall along party lines.Democrats have been generally suspicious of the Republican president鈥檚 strategy, and his motives abroad, but some believe the U.S. could have a role in supporting Israel against Iran. Others strongly believe the U.S. should stay out of it. Some of Trump鈥檚 strongest Republican supporters agree with the Democrats who oppose intervention, echoing the president's years of arguments against 鈥渇orever wars.鈥� But most Republicans enthusiastically backed the strikes, saying Trump should have the power to act on his own.Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday that the strikes on Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities were "clearly鈥� within Trump鈥檚 powers and went as far as to question the constitutionality of the War Powers Act, which is intended to give Congress a say in military action.鈥淭he bottom line is the commander in chief is the president, the military reports to the president, and the person empowered to act on the nation鈥檚 behalf is the president,鈥� Johnson told reporters.After Trump first announced a ceasefire between the two countries on Monday, Republicans immediately praised him. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, suggested in a post on X that Trump should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., posted: 鈥淗istoric! The President of Peace!鈥滲ut Democrats said they wanted more information. After Iran鈥檚 retaliation on the U.S. base in Qatar earlier in the day on Monday, Schumer said he wanted an additional classified briefing 鈥渓aying out the full threat picture, the intelligence behind Iran鈥檚 retaliation, and the details, scope, and timeline of any U.S. response.鈥漇enate Democrats are also forcing a vote as soon as this week on a resolution by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., requiring congressional approval for specific military action in Iran.鈥淵ou have a debate like this so that the entire American public, whose sons and daughters are in the military and whose lives will be at risk in war, get to see the debate and reach their own conclusion together with the elected officials about whether the mission is worth it or not,鈥� Kaine said.While he did not seek approval, Trump sent congressional leaders a short letter Monday serving as his official notice of the strikes, two days after the bombs fell.Trump said the attacks were 鈥渓imited in scope and purpose鈥� and 鈥渄esigned to minimize casualties, deter future attacks and limit the risk of escalation.鈥�

The Trump administration on Tuesday postponed classified briefings for Senate and House members as lawmakers look for more answers about President Donald Trump's directed strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend and his announcement on Monday that the two countries had reached a ceasefire agreement.

Both briefings were canceled. The Senate briefing has been rescheduled for Thursday so that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio can attend, according to multiple people with knowledge of the scheduling change who would only discuss it on the condition of anonymity. It is unclear when the House will be briefed.

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Trump proclaimed on social media that Israel and Iran had agreed that there will be an 鈥淥fficial END鈥� of their conflict. That tentative truce briefly faltered Tuesday when Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace, but Trump later declared it was 鈥渋n effect!鈥�

The separate briefings for the House and Senate were to be led by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, along with Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and deputy secretaries of state Christopher Landau and Steve Feinberg.

Democrats in Congress, along with some Republicans, have many questions about Trump鈥檚 unilateral decision to launch military action, arguing he should have gone to Congress for approval 鈥� or at least provided more justification for the attacks. Congress has not received any new intelligence since Gabbard told lawmakers in March that the U.S. believed Iran was not building a new nuclear weapon, according to two people familiar with the intelligence. The people insisted on anonymity to share what Congress has been told.

Video below: Trump says Iran will never rebuild its nuclear program

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said it is 鈥渙utrageous鈥� that the administration postponed the briefings.

鈥淭here is a legal obligation for the administration to inform Congress about precisely what is happening,鈥� Schumer said. 鈥淲hat are they afraid of? Why won鈥檛 they engage Congress in the critical details?鈥�

California Rep. Pete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic caucus, said that lawmakers "need evidence, we need details and we need to know them now.鈥�

Many lawmakers feel they have been left in the dark on what led to the strikes and amid escalating tensions between the White House and Congress over the role of the United States internationally 鈥� disagreements that don鈥檛 always fall along party lines.

Democrats have been generally suspicious of the Republican president鈥檚 strategy, and his motives abroad, but some believe the U.S. could have a role in supporting Israel against Iran. Others strongly believe the U.S. should stay out of it.

Some of Trump鈥檚 strongest Republican supporters agree with the Democrats who oppose intervention, echoing the president's years of arguments against 鈥渇orever wars.鈥� But most Republicans enthusiastically backed the strikes, saying Trump should have the power to act on his own.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday that the strikes on Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities were "clearly鈥� within Trump鈥檚 powers and went as far as to question the constitutionality of the War Powers Act, which is intended to give Congress a say in military action.

鈥淭he bottom line is the commander in chief is the president, the military reports to the president, and the person empowered to act on the nation鈥檚 behalf is the president,鈥� Johnson told reporters.

After Trump first announced a ceasefire between the two countries on Monday, Republicans immediately praised him. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, suggested in a post on X that Trump should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., posted: 鈥淗istoric! The President of Peace!鈥�

But Democrats said they wanted more information. After Iran鈥檚 retaliation on the U.S. base in Qatar earlier in the day on Monday, Schumer said he wanted an additional classified briefing 鈥渓aying out the full threat picture, the intelligence behind Iran鈥檚 retaliation, and the details, scope, and timeline of any U.S. response.鈥�

Senate Democrats are also forcing a vote as soon as this week on a resolution by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., requiring congressional approval for specific military action in Iran.

鈥淵ou have a debate like this so that the entire American public, whose sons and daughters are in the military and whose lives will be at risk in war, get to see the debate and reach their own conclusion together with the elected officials about whether the mission is worth it or not,鈥� Kaine said.

While he did not seek approval, Trump sent congressional leaders a short letter Monday serving as his official notice of the strikes, two days after the bombs fell.

Trump said the attacks were 鈥渓imited in scope and purpose鈥� and 鈥渄esigned to minimize casualties, deter future attacks and limit the risk of escalation.鈥�