Democrats wary over Iran stance
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As questions mount over US President Donald Trump鈥檚 tough talk on Iran, top national security officials are heading to Capitol Hill to brief Congress. But skeptical Democrats have asked for a second opinion.
The competing closed-door sessions on Tuesday (US time), unusual and potentially polarizing, come after weeks of escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf that have raised alarms over a possible military confrontation with Iran.
Lawmakers are warning the Trump administration it cannot take the country into war without approval from Congress and the back-to-back briefings show the wariness among Democrats and some Republicans, over the White House鈥檚 sudden policy shifts in the Middle East.
Trump, veering between bombast and conciliation in his quest to contain Iran, threatened on Monday to meet provocations by Iran with 鈥済reat force,鈥 but also said he鈥檚 willing to negotiate.
鈥淲e鈥檒l see what happens,鈥 Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a campaign rally.
鈥淲e have no indication that anything鈥檚 happened or will happen but if it does, it will be met, obviously, with great force. We鈥檒l have no choice.鈥
Trump said while there are no talks he still wants to hear from Iran, 鈥渋f they鈥檙e ready.鈥
Over the past several weeks the US has sent an aircraft carrier and other resources to the Persian Gulf region and evacuated non-essential personnel from Iraq, amid unspecified threats linked to Iran.
The administration is sending Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and other brass, including General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, for closed-door briefings with both the House and Senate.
But House Democrats, deeply skeptical of the information from the Trump officials 鈥 and mindful of the drumbeat of claims during the run-up to the Iraq War 鈥 invited former CIA director John Brennan and ex-State Department official Wendy Sherman, who negotiated the Iran nuclear deal.
Brennan, an outspoken Trump critic, does not have a formal briefing planned but is prepared to answer questions on Iran 鈥 and is willing to do the same for Republicans, said a person familiar with the matter. The intent, the person said, is just to provide information.
Top Democrats say Trump escalated problems by abruptly withdrawing the US from the Iran nuclear deal, a complex accord negotiated during the Obama administration to prevent the country from nuclear weapons production.
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