U.S.-Iran strikes live updates: Explosions heard as retaliation targets U.S. military bases

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Saturday said “Iran is facing the severe consequences of its evil actions.”

“President Trump and the Administration have made every effort to pursue peaceful and diplomatic solutions in response to the Iranian regime’s sustained nuclear ambitions and development, terrorism, and the murder of Americans — and even their own people,” Johnson posted to X.

Johnson noted in his post that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was on the Hill this week to brief House and Senate leaders on the evolving situation in Iran.

In a statement on Saturday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Iran a “bad actor” that “must be aggressively confronted for its human rights violations, nuclear ambitions, support of terrorism and the threat it poses to our allies like Israel and Jordan in the region.” But, like other Democrats, he questioned the constitutionality of launching such an attack without Congress’ blessing.

“The framers of the United States Constitution gave Congress the sole power to declare war as the branch of government closest to the American people,” Jeffries said.

“Donald Trump failed to seek Congressional authorization prior to striking Iran. Instead, the President’s decision to abandon diplomacy and launch a massive military attack has left American troops vulnerable to Iran’s retaliatory actions,” Jeffries continued.

—Justin Papp

While most Democrats who have weighed in are questioning the constitutionality of Trump’s attack on Iran, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined Republicans in cheering it.

“Operation Epic Fury. President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region. God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel,” Fetterman, often a dissenting voice within the Democratic caucus, posted to X.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, posted on X that “the butcher’s bill has finally come due for the ayatollahs,” referring to the Supreme Leader of Iran.

“A nuclear-weapons program. Thousands of missiles. State sponsorship of terror. Iran has waged war against the U.S. for 47 years: the hostage crisis, the Beirut Marine barracks, Khobar Towers, roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan that killed or maimed thousands of American soldiers, the attempted assassination of President Trump,” Cotton wrote.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., in a statement on Saturday thanked Secretary of State Marco Rubio “for providing updates on these issues throughout the week” and said he looked forward to the administration briefing all senators on the attack.

“Despite the dogged efforts of the president and his administration, the Iranian regime has refused the diplomatic off-ramps that would peacefully resolve these national security concerns. I commend President Trump for taking action to thwart these threats,” Thune said.

—Justin Papp

President Trump urged Iranians to “take over your government” in an eight-minute address following U.S. and Israeli combat operations in the region.

“To the great, proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand,” he said, in a video posted to the White House’s social media early Saturday morning.

“Stay sheltered, don’t leave your home, it’s very dangerous outside, bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will probably be your only chance for generations.”

— CJ Haddad

Emirates, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, United Airlines and others suspended flights to Middle East destinations due to airspace closures and the attacks on Iran.

Some flights were forced to return to their origin airports or diverted, including a United flight from Newark to Tel Aviv that landed in Athens.

Airlines have been periodically halting flights to the region for years as conflicts and associated security concerns arise. Airspace closures there often force carriers to take longer routes to skirt the area, which requires them to use more fuel.

— Leslie Josephs

Democrats called for a briefing and questioned the constitutionality of another military action without congressional approval.

“The Constitution is clear: the decision to take this nation to war rests with Congress, and launching large-scale military operations — particularly in the absence of an imminent threat to the United States — raises serious legal and constitutional concerns,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., ranking member on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said in a statement. 

“Congress must be fully briefed, and the administration must come forward with a clear legal justification, a defined end state, and a plan that avoids dragging the United States into yet another costly and unnecessary war,” Warner said.

Both the House and the Senate were expected to take up war powers resolutions in the coming week, which could have limited Trump’s ability to engage militarily in Iran. The issue does not break cleanly along partisan lines, and passage in either chamber was uncertain.

Trump drew similar complaints from Democrats in early January after a targeted operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, about which lawmakers said they were not briefed beforehand.

The Constitution grants Congress primary authority to declare war. The War Powers Resolution, passed in 1973 in response to the Vietnam War, limits the president’s ability to take military action unilaterally and requires the president to consult with Congress when troops are deployed.

“For months, I have raised hell about the fact that the American people want lower prices, not more war —especially wars that aren’t authorized by Congress, as required by the Constitution, and don’t have a clear objective,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who introduced an Iran war powers resolution, said in a statement. “These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives.”

— Justin Papp