HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Virginia members of Congress are offering sharply different assessments of the joint U.S.-Israel airstrikes against Iran, now in their third day, with one Republican Rep. John McGuire defending the action and Democratic Sen. Mark Warner demanding answers from the White House.
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McGuire, who represents Virginia's 5th Congressional District, said the Trump administration followed protocol by briefing members of Congress known as the "Gang of Eight" before the strikes began. McGuire said Iran is the largest sponsor of terrorism and a destabilizing force in the Middle East, and that the country's ongoing efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon posed a risk to the U.S. and Israel.
"I think the bottom line is we cannot have a nuclear weapon — Iran with a nuclear weapon, because they will use it, and you know, if they use it, that's, that's millions of lives. So I think, you know, we're — we gotta — we gotta do what we gotta do," McGuire said.
McGuire said he hopes the death of the Supreme Leader — and others in key leadership positions — means the engagement will be a short one, and that it gives the Iranian people a chance to take back their country.
"President Trump has expressed support for the Iranian people in seeking change. I think that this is clear in the way for the folks to create their own self governments and have freedom," McGuire said.
McGuire said he believes the action will lead to a broader peace.
"I'm sure it was a very difficult decision for him to make, but I think he sees a greater peace in the future for not just the Middle East but the world," McGuire said.
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Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, speaking Monday in Henrico, raised pointed questions about the administration's strategy and legal authority.
"Where's the plan, why now, and what's next? How long is this going to last?" Warner said.
Warner said that while he sheds no tears for the deaths of those leaders, he is questioning what assurances exist that those who replace them won't be worse — and what support the U.S. should or will offer Iranian citizens.
"If the Iranian military forces, who are brutal, come out and literally murder tens of thousand of Iranian citizens after the President has called them to come to the streets, does that mean America is obligated to put troops on the ground to continue the regime change?" Warner said.
Warner said Trump's stated reasoning for the strikes has shifted — from concerns about nuclear weapons, to ballistic missiles, to regime change — and that he has seen no intelligence indicating Iran posed an immediate threat to the U.S.
"If there are no clear objectives, this is the way you end up in another potential endless war in the Middle East," Warner said.
Warner said the president must come before Congress and the American people to explain his decision.
"If there was not an imminent threat, this is Donald Trump's war of choice. And if he's chosen to put Americans in harm's way, into war, his words — war — not some military reaction, then he's got to come to Congress. He's got to come to the American people and explain," Warner said. "At this point, at least, because without consultation, Donald Trump owns this war. It's a war of his choice and I just pray it doesn't spiral out of control."
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At least six American servicemembers have been killed in action since Saturday, though their identities have not been released.
A spokesperson for the Virginia National Guard said members of the Air National Guard are supporting Operation Epic Fury — the name given to the Iran strikes — but could not provide additional details for security reasons. The spokesperson added that 150 members of a Hanover-based military police company have been in the Middle East since last summer for customs operations.
As a member of the Gang of Eight, Warner was scheduled to travel to Washington for a briefing Monday evening.
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