Iran

But the fall of Syria’s Assad and the weakened states of Hamas and Hezbollah have diminished Iran’s influence. At the same time, domestic unrest and a struggling economy create growing threats to Iran’s clerical rulers. The Trump administration has an historic opportunity to use diplomacy to move Iran away from its dangerous nuclear brinkmanship and toward a better future for the Iranian
people.

Call on Congress to support diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring or developing a nuclear weapon.

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In the early hours of Saturday, February 28, President Trump ordered strikes against Iran in what he described as the beginning of “major combat operations” to destroy the country’s military capabilities and eliminate the threat of it creating a nuclear weapon. In coordination with the Israeli government, the Trump administration launched hundreds of airstrikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure, nuclear-related facilities, and senior leadership, culminating in the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. 

In response, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks against U.S. forces, Israel, and regional oil infrastructure, expanding the conflict across the Middle East. Iranian forces have also targeted commercial shipping and effectively shut down transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil chokepoint, contributing to rising energy prices and disruptions to international shipping. The Israeli government has also targeted Iranian proxies like Hezbollah, including intensified strikes in Lebanon. U.S. casualties have been reported since the conflict began, including several American service members killed. 

The strikes came just days after U.S. and Iranian officials met for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, which have since collapsed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the campaign will continue as long as necessary, while the Trump administration has begun urging allies to join a coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and protect shipping in the region. Both Netanyahu and Trump have called on the Iranian people to overthrow the regime, and reports indicate the U.S. may support Kurdish forces and other regional actors to increase pressure on Tehran. The escalation follows months of deteriorating diplomacy after Israeli strikes in early June—known as Operation Rising Lion—targeted Iran’s enrichment facility at Natanz, nuclear scientists linked to the program, and elements of Iran’s ballistic missile infrastructure. On June 21, the Trump administration joined the Israeli operation without congressional authorization, striking three Iranian nuclear facilities. Although a ceasefire was reached days later, U.S.–Iran nuclear negotiations collapsed, Iran restricted access for international inspectors to key nuclear sites, and the United Kingdom, France, and Germany subsequently triggered the snapback of United Nations sanctions on Iran. 

Initial U.S. intelligence assessments suggested the earlier strikes set back Iran’s nuclear program only by months, while the status of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remained uncertain. With direct hostilities now underway between Iran, Israel, and the United States, the risk of a wider regional war has increased significantly, diplomatic channels remain strained, and international monitoring of Iran’s nuclear program is severely limited.