Vance Says Iran Strike Decision Rests With Trump, Drawing Criticism

Vance’s post on X came as Israel’s bombardment of hundreds of targets in Iran had killed more than 220 people since the previous Friday. The strikes unfolded during U.S. talks with Iran over its nuclear program; Iranian officials say the program is for civilian purposes. Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal during his first term. The article says the agreement had effectively blocked Iran from militarizing its program.

On Tuesday, Trump suggested the United States and Israel could target Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender.” Air Force refueling planes had also headed to Europe in recent days. Trump called for Tehran, a city of 10 million people, to be evacuated at 2:00 am local time on Tuesday, raising concerns about direct U.S. involvement.

Vance described what he called widespread “confusion” over Iran’s nuclear capabilities. He said Trump had shown “remarkable restraint” by focusing the military on protecting U.S. troops and citizens, but might take further action to end Iranian enrichment. “That decision ultimately belongs to the president,” Vance wrote.

Matt Duss, a former foreign policy adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders and executive vice president at the Center for International Policy, disputed that claim. “If it involves military action, that decision belongs to Congress, which has not authorized war against Iran,” he said. “A former senator should know this.”

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) challenged Vance to state whether he would oppose U.S. strikes without congressional authorization, citing a war powers resolution he and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) support. The article identifies Massie as the only congressional Republican to back such a resolution on Iran. It also says Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) had not publicly addressed the issue, while at least 25 lawmakers supported legislation to block Trump from starting a war unilaterally.

In 2023, Vance told CBS News that an unprovoked attack on Iran’s mainland would be “a significant escalation.”