U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan said he supports the U.S. attack on Iran because, he said, the Trump administration’s attempts at diplomacy failed to stop Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons.
“I'm not someone that, in general, would support kind of taking out world leaders. But I think these guys, … my belief is that they’re less world leaders than terrorists, right?”
Sullivan spoke to reporters at a Senate subcommittee hearing in Anchorage Saturday, just as news broke that the strikes had eliminated Tehran’s top echelon, including its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Sullivan called the situation fluid and dangerous.
“On terms of the regime change, I think it's something that we can shape, but that's going to be ultimately up to the Iranian people,” he said.
He didn’t directly answer whether he thinks Congress needs to provide authorization for further military action in Iran.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski issued a general statement Saturday morning, commending the troops and urging that the Trump administration provide information to Congress.
“Last summer, following Operation Midnight Hammer, I supported the administration’s targeted actions in Iran after receiving a comprehensive briefing from senior officials,” she wrote in a social media post. “Events are rapidly unfolding, and I expect Congress to receive the same level of engagement so we fully understand the scope, objectives, and risks of any further military action.”
Congress was already slated to vote next week on a war powers resolution that aimed to block the Trump administration from attacking Iran. Most Democrats, as well as Republicans who frequently criticize President Trump, are expected to vote yes.
Now, with an attack already launched, the question takes on new urgency as a congressional referendum on the Trump administration’s actions. Sullivan said he’s unlikely to vote for it.
