New York/Washington: President Donald Trump must provide American people “clear answers” on his decision to strike Iranian nuclear sites, a democratic senator said, asserting that no president should be allowed to unilaterally march the country into something “as consequential as war”.
Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said the danger of wider, longer and more devastating war had dramatically increased after the US bombed three major nuclear sites, Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan — in Iran, bringing itself into the Israel-Iran conflict.
“We must enforce the War Powers Act,” he said, calling on all senators on both sides of the aisle to vote for it.
The War Powers Act is a congressional resolution designed to limit the US president’s ability to initiate or escalate military actions abroad.
Trump must provide the American people and Congress clear answers on the actions taken tonight (Saturday night) and their implications for the safety of Americans, Schumer said.
“No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy. Confronting Iran’s ruthless campaign of terror, nuclear ambitions, and regional aggression demands strength, resolve and strategic clarity,” he said.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Trump ignored the Constitution by unilaterally engaging the American military without Congressional authorisation.
“I join my colleagues in demanding answers from the administration on this operation which endangers American lives and risks further escalation and dangerous destabilisation of the region,” she said.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was gravely alarmed by the use of force by the US against Iran.
Guterres described it as a “dangerous escalation” in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security.
Guterres cautioned that at this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. “There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace,” he said.
“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” the UN chief said, calling on member states to de-escalate and uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law.
Before the US strikes, Democratic Congressman Ami Bera said Trump needed to come to Congress and lay out the objectives and long-term goals of any US military action in Iran.
“There is no appetite in America for another prolonged war in the Middle East,” he said.
