Senate Democrats press Trump to explain rationale behind new Iran strike amid warnings about dire risks

Senior Senate Democrats have called on President Donald Trump to publicly justify any potential US military aggression against Iran, after emerging from a closed-door briefing on the administration’s war preparations.

“Closed-door briefings are fine, but the administration has to make its case to the American people on something as important as this,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said following the briefing on Tuesday.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, also said it was “incumbent” upon the president to make the case to the American people regarding what the administration wanted to achieve with any new military strikes on Iran.”

‘How to protect American interests?’

Warner also said Trump had to make it clear to the American public “how to protect American interests” in the event of any renewed aggression.

“Maybe we’ll hear that tonight, but if we don’t hear it tonight, we need to hear it very, very soon,” Warner said, referring to Trump’s State of the Union Address.

The comments came amid significant American military buildup in the West Asia region, including around Iran, featuring two aircraft carriers as well as numerous warplanes and missile systems.

The warlike concentration comes, although, Iranian and American negotiators have begun a fresh series of indirect nuclear negotiations, the third round of which is expected to undergo in Geneva in a matter of days.

Also on Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, whether the talks would yield a favorable deal, hinged on diplomacy being “given priority,” suggesting that the US not compromise the renewed diplomatic process by resorting to aggression against the Islamic Republic as it did during the previous series of talks between the countries last June.

FM says historic opportunity at hand for unprecedented deal; warns Iran protects sovereignty at any cost

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran and the United States have a “historic opportunity” at hand to strike an “unprecedented agreement.”

Iranian authorities have cautioned Washington and its allies against seeking to take advantage of the country’s engagement in diplomatic process to subject it to new uncalled-for and illegal acts of aggression.

Araghchi echoed the remarks, saying, “We have proven that we will stop at nothing to guard our sovereignty with courage. We bring the same courage to the negotiating table, where we will pursue a peaceful resolution to any differences.”

Trump has coupled the American military buildup with repeated verbal threats, prompting Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to warn him about the risks of military action against Iran.

The Washington Post reported earlier that Caine had raised concerns at the White House and Pentagon about munition shortages and a lack of allied support that could leave US personnel vulnerable.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Pentagon officials were wary of potential US and allied casualties, as well as the depletion of American air defenses in the event of strikes on Iranian territory.

American outlet Axios reported that Caine had warned of the United States “becoming entangled in a prolonged conflict.”

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