Schiff on Iran strikes: ‘The president broke his promise to the American people’
Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff said Sunday that he will join others in his party to force a vote on a war powers resolution to restrict President Donald Trump's ability to strike Iran, saying there was no basis for the operation by the U.S. and Israel on Saturday.
"There would be nothing better than an end to this terrible, century- or decades-long dictatorship," Schiff told ABC News' "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos. "But there is no imminent threat to the United States that would justify exposing U.S. troops to that kind of risk."
The U.S. and Israel launched a barrage of strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several other top Iranian officials, Iranian state media confirmed. Iran retaliated with strikes on Israel and several Middle East countries, targeting multiple U.S. military bases, a far more widespread and immediate response than those that followed U.S. strikes in June that targeted three of Iran's nuclear facilities.
Immediately following the strikes, most Democrats and some Republicans criticized the president for authorizing strikes without a vote from Congress and without, in their view, directly making the case to Americans. Some Democrats now say they will attempt to force a vote on a war powers resolution that would immediately halt operations if it passes. Still, Trump could veto the resolution if it managed to pass in the Republican-controlled Congress.
Shortly after Schiff's interview, U.S. Central Command announced that three U.S. service members had been killed, and another five "seriously wounded," during Iran's retaliatory strikes Saturday. Trump previously acknowledged in a speech after the strikes Saturday that some American lives may be lost in the conflict.
Still, Trump and many Republicans have said that the threat Iran posed was significant enough to strike, including Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, who disagreed with Schiff's assertion that there was no basis for Saturday's attack.
"We certainly have been provoked on this," Lankford told Stephanopoulos. "Just a year ago, we had over 180 attacks from Iran on Americans, either through their proxies or directly from Iran."
Lankford, who is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, did acknowledge the potential harm to Americans as Iran retaliates.
"We have about three quarters of a million Americans that actually live in that area. As you know, Iran is right now throwing missiles at hotels in the [United Arab Emirates] and Qatar, in Saudi Arabia and in Israel," Lankford said. "Just because you can't reach American soil doesn't mean you're not reaching Americans."
Asked by Stephanopoulos if Lankford would support American troops on the ground in Iran, Lankford did not directly answer.
"What's your view on regime change at this point? As you know, history does show that it is difficult without boots on the ground," Stephanopoulos asked. "If it comes to that, would you support putting American troops on the ground in Iran?"
"Right now, the Iranian people need to be able to rise up and choose their own leaders," Lankford responded. "Our beef is not with the Iranian people. We have great connection with Iranian people. Our problem is with an Iranian regime that continues to be able to attack their neighbors."
Democrats have worried that the U.S. and Israeli strikes -- and an effort for regime change in Iran -- could drag the U.S. into another years-long conflict, or a "forever war," along with fears that a wider conflict could destabilize the region. Trump campaigned in 2024 on ending wars, not starting them, and Democrats have criticized him for his multiple strikes on Iran and the operation to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, both of which they say run counter to the president's campaign promise.
"One thing is certainly true though, the president broke his promise to the American people of no more regime change wars," Schiff said. "There's nothing in this action that's going to improve the lives of Americans."
