A senior Democrat has warned that Americans are “right to be worried” about the escalating war with Iran after lawmakers received a closed-door briefing on Tuesday (March 3).
Senior national security officials met with members of Congress on Capitol Hill earlier in the week to provide updates on the situation in Iran. Those present reportedly included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs chair Dan Caine.
President Trump ordered the first strikes on February 28 as part of a coordinated operation with Israel, described as “Operation Epic Fury”.
Fighting has continued in the days since, and the president has signaled the conflict may not end quickly.
Reports also indicate the strikes were carried out without prior approval from Congress, despite Congress being the only branch empowered to declare war.
Against that backdrop, critics argue the move weakens both the constitutional balance of powers in the US and the international legal framework the US helped shape around the use of force, according to Brian Finucane, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group.
With Democrats saying they were not informed ahead of the initial strikes, the administration held a delayed briefing on Tuesday—one that left several lawmakers openly alarmed.
“I just want to say I am more fearful than ever after this briefing that we may be putting boots on the ground and that troops from the United States may be necessary to accomplish objectives that the administration seems to have.”
“I think the administration owes it to the American people to have briefings not just for members of Congress, but for the American public,” Blumenthal added.
Senator Elizabeth Warren also said the details shared in the meeting were even more troubling than many had expected.
“It is so much worse than you thought.”
Warren went on to issue a stark warning, according to Rolling Stone.
“You are right to be worried. The Trump administration has no plan in Iran. This illegal war is based on lies, and it was launched without any imminent threat to our nation.
“Donald Trump still hasn’t given a single clear reason for this war, and he seems to have no plan for how to end it either.”
She later amplified her message in a post on X on Wednesday (March 4).
“In the modern era, no American president has ordered more military strikes against as many different countries as Donald Trump.
In the modern era, no American president has ordered more military strikes against as many different countries as Donald Trump.
It will be our sons and daughters, our nieces and nephews, our grandchildren who will be asked to sacrifice their lives for Trump’s wars.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) March 4, 2026
“It will be our sons and daughters, our nieces and nephews, our grandchildren who will be asked to sacrifice their lives for Trump’s wars.”
Senator Ruben Gallago also raised concerns about where the Iran conflict could lead, suggesting it may turn into a prolonged engagement.
This war is a distraction from the fact that Americans are hurting right now.
Families want relief at the grocery store. They want more money in their pocket.
Instead, this president starts a foreign war no one asked for and that does nothing to lower costs here at home. pic.twitter.com/zpwaqHgXJZ
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) March 4, 2026
“If we don’t know how we can get out of this war, if we don’t know what the actual victory is, we’re seeing potentially a long-term war,” he said on CNN.
“The president has not been very clear how and when it ends. And more importantly, the American public does not want this right now.”