Senators left a classified briefing Wednesday seeking more information about the U.S. war against Iran and the rationale behind the Trump administration’s decision to deploy soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Immediate Response Force to the Middle East.
After the briefing by military intelligence and CIA officials, key Republican senators expressed confidence in the strength of the U.S. military and the campaign’s progress so far. But there was clear concern on Capitol Hill about the Pentagon’s $200 billion funding request to pay for the Iran conflict and exactly what that money is intended for.
The lack of information and uncertainty highlighted a growing demand in Congress for more detailed answers as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran nears the 30-day mark.
Sen. Roger Wicker, Mississippi Republican and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, described the session as productive but signaled more scrutiny ahead regarding the cost as well as questions about troop safety measures for personnel already stationed in a dangerous Mideast war zone.
Mr. Wicker said he “could see why” his counterpart in the House, Rep. Mike Rogers, Alabama Republican and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told reporters Wednesday that he “wasn’t getting enough answers.”
“We’re asking questions about it,” Mr. Wicker said of the 82nd Airborne’s deployment to the region.
SEE ALSO: Trump struggles to sell the Iran war as Americans feel the squeeze at the pump
Sources told The Washington Times that the deployment will take the Immediate Response Force to bases in nearby Gulf partner states, such as those in Kuwait and Jordan.
The Pentagon is also in the process of deploying two Marine units to the region, bolstering the already sizeable American military presence there.
Some Republicans left Wednesday’s Capitol Hill briefings and expressed clear opposition to any American ground troops in Iran.
“Just walked out of a House Armed Services briefing on Iran. Let me repeat: I will not support troops on the ground in Iran, even more so after this briefing,” Rep. Nancy Mace, South Carolina Republican, wrote on social media after a House briefing by intelligence officials.
The diplomatic track
Amid the buildup of U.S. forces, the administration says it’s in talks with key Iranian officials about a path to end the war. President Trump said earlier this week that Iran is starting to “talk sense” and moving away from its quest to obtain a nuclear weapon.
SEE ALSO: White House won’t seek congressional authorization for Iran war
“We’re in negotiations right now,” Mr. Trump said. “They’d like to make a deal. And who wouldn’t, if you were them?”
The U.S. submitted a 15-peace plan to Iran through a Pakistani intermediary, with the proposal reportedly focusing on potential sanctions relief for Iran, a rollback of the country’s nuclear program, limits on missiles and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that Iran has effectively blockaded since the early days of the war.
But Iranian officials rejected that plan and offered their own, which centered on an end to the hostilities, reparations for the damages caused by the war, and Iran’s “exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.”
It’s unclear how those significant gaps can be bridged.
Mr. Trump said U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance are involved in talks with the Iranian side, though the exact nature of those discussions remains mysterious. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday “we do not plan on any negotiations” with the U.S., casting doubt on the viability of a diplomatic track.
Meanwhile, the White House argues that it doesn’t need formal congressional approval to continue the war. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that “formal authorization from Congress is not necessary because we are currently in major combat operations in Iran.”
The conflict is quickly approaching a 60-day threshold that could trigger a war powers discussion in Congress.
Congress could seek to play a greater role in the decision-making process if lawmakers feel they aren’t getting answers from the administration about the war.
Lawmakers of both parties said the Pentagon’s request for more money remains relatively undefined.
Sens. Mike Rounds, South Dakota Republican, and Thom Tillis, North Carolina Republican, both said they had not received a breakdown of the military’s needs.
“We’re expecting to get some additional information,” Mr. Rounds said of both the current military operations and the funding request. “Naturally, we always want more. We’re trying to do our due diligence.”
Mr. Tillis stressed that he still needed to know “how much of it is refilling supplies versus suggesting what more is needed before we begin to ramp down in Iran.”
Troops on the move
Other key senators said the deployment of fresh troops signals that a slowdown of the conflict isn’t imminent.
“There are questions today that didn’t get answered,” Sen. Tim Kaine, Virginia Democrat, said of the U.S. posture and funding of the war. “My bigger worry is that they’re only ever going to talk about this in a classified environment.”
The exact purpose of more U.S. troops in the region is unclear. There has been speculation in national security circles that American ground forces could seize key Iranian energy infrastructure sites or perhaps even Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, but it’s unclear whether such missions are under serious consideration.
“It’s obvious they’ve added more forces on the ground [in the region], but I don’t think strategically that they’ve had an effect yet,” Sen. Jack Reed, Rhode Island Democrat and senior Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, told The Washington Times.
Mr. Rounds said that the Army’s troops in the region are “simply pre-planning and doing what they’re supposed to be doing, which is keeping our options open.”
Sen. Joni Ernst, Iowa Republican, said “all they’re doing is moving right now.”
But Democrats were pointed in their criticism.
“It remains unclear what the goal is, what the plan is, any kind of timeline or exit strategy,” Sen. Mark Kelly, Arizona Democrat, told The Times.
Republicans disagreed but deferred to the White House regarding the goals of the war.
“They’ve been very clear that it’s about the various ranges of ballistic missiles and their nuclear capability,” Sen. Ted Budd, North Carolina Republican, told The Times.
Mr. Trump said on Tuesday that Iran has “agreed they will never have a nuclear weapon,” signaling that the administration believes Tehran is capitulating on a key U.S. demand. Iran has not confirmed that.
• Jeff Mordock and Tom Howell Jr. contributed to this story, which is based in part on wire service reports
• John T. Seward can be reached at jseward@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.