Late Saturday evening, the U.S. Military conducted air strikes on three major Iranian facilities that U.S. officials claimed were key nuclear sites in the country. This comes as tensions have heightened between Israel and Iran, with both nations trading fire since June 13.
The preemptive strikes conducted by the United States have brought both praise and criticism from national leaders. Representatives and senators in our region have commented as well.
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U.S. Reps. John McGuire, R-Va, and Ben Cline, R-Va, both representing portions of Southwest Virginia, praised President Trump for the strikes on X:
“President Trump was clear: Iran can never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. Iran is a state sponsor of terror, and they have a history of killing US service members and others around the world. This is a historic moment, and future generations will not have to live with a nuclear armed Iran. We are thankful the men and women of our Armed Forces returned home safely! God Bless America!"
U.S. Rep. John McGuire, R-Va
“As the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism, Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. Because the leaders of Iran refused to agree to halt its nuclear weapons program, America has taken action to halt it for them. As Commander in Chief, President Trump is to be commended for acting decisively and constitutionally to remove the imminent threat that a nuclear Iran represented. God Bless our brave troops, and God Bless the United States of America.”
U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va
As of 12 p.m. on June 22, U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va, has not made a statement regarding the strikes.
The praise in Virginia was largely along party lines, however, as Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va, issued a lengthy statement condemning the strikes, fearing that the U.S. may be dragged into another war in the Middle East, and claiming the decision should have gone through Congress first:
“President Trump came into office promising to ‘end the endless foreign wars.’ Tonight, he took steps that could drag the United States into another one, without consulting Congress, without a clear strategy, without regard to the consistent conclusions of the intelligence community, and without explaining to the American people what’s at stake.
There is no question that Iran poses a serious threat to regional stability, and the United States must remain unwavering in our commitment to Israel’s security and in ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. But launching direct military strikes without authorization from or consultation with Congress raises urgent questions: What is the president’s objective? How is he measuring success? And what’s the plan to prevent this from dragging our country into another open-ended conflict in the Middle East that costs American lives and resources for years to come?
The Constitution makes clear that the power to authorize war lies with Congress. There are more than 40,000 U.S. servicemembers deployed across the region, as well as American diplomats, contractors, and aid workers, and the safety of our personnel must be paramount. With American lives and our national security on the line, any action that could draw the United States into a broader conflict demands transparency, accountability, and a clear strategy. So far, the president has offered none of these.
“The American people deserve more than vague rhetoric and unilateral decisions that could set off a wider war. The president must come before Congress immediately to articulate clear strategic objectives and lay out how he plans to protect American lives and ensure we are not once again drawn into a costly, unnecessary, and avoidable conflict.”
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va, also criticized the president for striking Iran without going through Congress, in a statement on X:
“The American public is overwhelmingly opposed to the U.S. waging war on Iran. And the Israeli Foreign Minister admitted yesterday that Israeli bombing had set the Iranian nuclear program back ‘at least 2 or 3 years.’ So what made Trump recklessly decide to rush and bomb today? Horrible judgment. I will push for all Senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war."
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va
Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued a short statement on X as well, stating the importance of Iran never having a nuclear weapon:
“President Donald J. Trump meant what he has said over and over again: Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. Promises made, promises kept"
Gov. Glenn Youngkin
You can find the latest on the Iran-Israel conflict here.
