Trump allies defend US-Israel strikes on Iran as Democrats call it a war of choice'

"I'm not going to shed any tears over the death of the Iranian leadership. The question is why now? Why not make the case to the American public? Trump had started a war of choice. There was no imminent threat to the United States. It's incumbent that the president comes before the American people and Congress to make the case on why he's chosen to go to war."

"Will the president's supporters still say this is a great move if the person who replaces the supreme leader is even further to the right and actually rushes forward on their nuclear program? We have very little visibility into what happens next. A populist revolution and a reduction in regional violence would be a wonderful outcome, but I don't believe that will happen."

The Trump administration and its Republican allies defended the Israel-US strikes on Iran, while Democrats raised concerns about the decision's legality and strategic implications. Republican senators Tom Cotton and Lindsey Graham supported the strikes on Sunday talk shows. Democratic senators, including Mark Warner, welcomed the elimination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei but criticized the administration for not seeking congressional approval or making a public case for military action. Warner argued there was no imminent threat justifying the strikes and warned of unpredictable consequences, including uncertainty about Khamenei's successor and potential escalation of Iran's nuclear program. He expressed concern about being pulled into another broad Middle East conflict and questioned whether outcomes would justify the military action.

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