Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said Sunday that President Donald Trump's strikes against Iran were "entirely appropriate," breaking with many Democrats as questions mount on Capitol Hill about the legal basis, the risk of escalation, and what comes next after Iran and its leadership were hit in joint U.S. and Israeli attacks.
Fetterman made his case in TV interviews as the U.S. and Israel expanded military action that began early Saturday.
Iranian state media confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, and Israeli and U.S. officials said the initial wave targeted top figures tied to Iran's security apparatus.
On CNN's "State of the Union," Fetterman pointed to Iran's nuclear and missile programs as the central justification while acknowledging the threat was not immediate.
"It's not imminent, that can happen right now, but it's one that I think it's entirely appropriate to deal with," he said.
Fetterman also pushed back on claims the strikes were illegal under the War Powers Resolution, saying critics should "read the War Powers Act" and arguing it "has not been violated [considering] what happened yesterday."
Under the War Powers Resolution, if U.S. forces are introduced into hostilities, the president must submit a report to Congress within 48 hours, and the law sets a 60-day limit for continued involvement without specific congressional authorization, plus a potential 30-day withdrawal period in certain circumstances.
The Trump administration notified the Gang of Eight, the bipartisan group of top congressional leaders and intelligence committee chairs, before the strikes.
Fetterman, one of the Senate's most outspoken Democratic supporters of Trump's Iran policy, also addressed the broader political blowback in a separate appearance on Newsmax's "Sunday Report."
"I'm tired of people putting out these messages on social media saying, yes, we can never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon," he said, adding, "That's why I'm proud to stand and agree with and say, yes, that's the president from a different party, but I absolutely support the things that he's done."
Fetterman has taken similar positions before.
He supported Operation Midnight Hammer, the June U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities ordered by Trump, and later voted as the lone Democratic senator against a war powers resolution that sought to curb the president's authority after that operation.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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