Secretary of state Marco Rubio delivered a classified briefing on the administration’s Iran plans to congressional leaders on Tuesday, hours ahead of Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.
Democrats left the meeting calling for clarity on Trump’s war aims.
“The president made the representation that Iran’s nuclear programme was completely and totally obliterated last year as a result of actions that the administration had taken,” House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters after leaving the briefing.
“So if that, in fact, was true, what is the urgency as of this moment? That’s an open question, and the American people need a real explanation.”
Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said he appreciated the “consultation” from the White House but said it was “incumbent upon the president to make the case of what our country’s goals are, what our country’s interests are and how we’re going to protect American interests in the region.”
“Maybe we’ll hear that tonight, but if we don’t hear it tonight, we need to hear it very, very, very soon,” he added.