‘Not constitutional’: Congress invokes new War Powers Resolution to reject Trump’s strikes on Iran
Co-sponsors of the War Powers Resolution, Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif, and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., were quick to criticize President Donald Trump for greenlighting attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran Saturday night. “This is not constitutional,” Massie said, responding to Trump’s Truth Social post announcing the strikes on Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan in Iran. The bipartisan War Powers Resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives this week as strikes between Israel and Iran raged on, and the world stood by to see if Trump would strike. Sources familiar told Fox News Digital that both House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., were briefed on the strikes ahead of time. ‘INSTINCTS FOR RESTRAINT’: SENATE DIVIDED OVER WHO GETS TO DECLARE WAR “Trump struck Iran without any authorization of Congress. We need to immediately return to DC and vote on @RepThomasMassie and my War Powers Resolution to prevent America from being dragged into another endless Middle East war,” Khanna said. ‘SQUAD’ MEMBERS, GOP LAWMAKER JOIN FORCES TO REJECT US INVOLVEMENT IN ISRAEL-IRAN WAR This week, lawmakers sounded off on the unconstitutionality of Trump striking Iran without congressional approval. Congress has the sole power to declare war under Article I of the Constitution. The War Powers Resolution seeks to “remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic State of Iran” and directs Trump to “terminate” the deployment of American troops against Iran without an “authorized declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military forces against Iran.” As Trump announced his strikes against Iran – without congressional approval – Khanna said representatives should return to Capitol Hill to prevent further escalation. And in the upper chamber, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., introduced his own war powers resolution ahead of the bipartisan duo in the House. While the resolution had been gaining steam with his colleagues, momentum could be stalled due to the strikes. His resolution is privileged, meaning that lawmakers will have to consider it. The earliest it could be voted on is Friday. Kaine argued in a statement that “the American public is overwhelmingly opposed to the U.S. waging war on Iran.” “And the Israeli Foreign Minister admitted yesterday that Israeli bombing had set the Iranian nuclear program back ‘at least 2 or 3 years,’” he said. “So, what made Trump recklessly decide to rush and bomb today? Horrible judgment. I will push for all senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war.” This week on Capitol Hill, Massie, the conservative fiscal hawk who refused to sign onto Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” built an unlikely bipartisan coalition of lawmakers resisting the U.S.’ involvement in the Middle East conflict. “This is not our war. But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution,” Massie said. Massie, whom Trump threatened to primary during the House GOP megabill negotiations, invited “all members of Congress to cosponsor this resolution.” By Tuesday night, the bipartisan bill had picked up 27 cosponsors, including progressive “Squad” members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar. Across the political aisle, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., signaled her support, writing that Americans want an affordable cost of living, safe communities and quality education “not going into another foreign war.” “This is not our fight,” Greene doubled down on Saturday night, before Trump’s Truth Social announcement. The bill’s original co-sponsors also include progressive Democrat Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Summer Lee, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, who called it unconstitutional for “Trump to go to war without a vote in Congress.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Trump would make his decision about whether to bomb Iran within two weeks. “We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump said Saturday night. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Israel launched preemptive strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leaders last week, which the Islamic Republic considered a “declaration of war.” Strikes between Israel and Iran have raged on since, as Trump said he was considering whether to sign off on U.S. strikes against Iran. The Jewish State targeted Iran’s nuclear capabilities after months of failed negotiations in the region and heightened concern over Iran developing nuclear weapons. But Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador to Geneva, said Iran “will continue to produce the enriched uranium as far as we need for peaceful purposes,” as Israel, and now the U.S., have issued strikes against Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Trump addresses nation on ‘spectacular military success’ of US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities
President Donald Trump addressed the nation just after 10 p.m. Eastern Time following the U.S. military’s successful strikes on a trio of Iranian nuclear facilities. “A short time ago, the U.S. military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan,” he said. “Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity, and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror. Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success.” “For 40 years, Iran has been saying, ‘death to America. Death to Israel.’ They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs. That was their specialty. We lost over a thousand people and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate in particular,” Trump continued. Trump’s address followed him announcing just on Thursday – via his press secretary Karoline Leavitt – that he would make a decision on whether to strike Iran within a two-week period. “I have a message directly from the president, and I quote, ‘based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,’” Leavitt said at a White House briefing quoting Trump. Trump has repeatedly urged Iran to make a deal on its nuclear program before striking its nuclear facilities, but the country pulled out of ongoing talks with the U.S. scheduled for June 15 in Oman and refused to return to the table in the days following. Israel preemptively ordered strikes on Iran on June 12 as Israeli intelligence indicated Iran’s nuclear program was rapidly progressing. TRUMP DECLARES ‘VERY SUCCESSFUL ATTACK’ ON IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM AS US FORCES STRIKE 3 KEY SITES Trump announced on Saturday evening via a Truth Social post, which was not preceded by media leaks, that the U.S. had carried out three successful attacks. Fox News’ Sean Hannity reported on Saturday that the U.S. used six bunker-buster bombs —each of which weighs 15 tons — in its strikes on Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility. The bombs were dropped from American B-2 stealth bombers. Additionally, 30 tomahawk missiles launched from U.S. submarines were used in the attacks on the Nanatz and Isfahan facilities, he reported. TRUMP PROMISES TO RESPOND WITH ‘FULL STRENGTH AND MIGHT’ OF US MILITARY IF IRAN ATTACKS AMERICA Ahead of the Saturday evening strikes, six B-2 stealth bombers from an Air Force base in Missouri appeared to be en route to a U.S. Air Force base in Guam, U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News on Saturday. Fox New’s Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin said during an appearance Saturday evening as news broke of the strikes that reports of the bombers were likely part of the “misleading tidbits put out there to suggest that maybe President Trump had had put off the decision.” “Those six B-2 bombers that were heading west towards Guam, they would not have made it to Iran in time to take part in this strike. So, that suggests to me that there was an additional B-1 package that perhaps flew eastward from Whiteman Air Force Base. Again, this was all part of the deception. There was a great deal of sort of misleading tidbits put out there to suggest that maybe President Trump had put off the decision and that this would happen two weeks from now.” She said this while speaking with Fox News’ Bret Baier on Saturday evening. ISRAEL’S ACTIONS AGAINST IRAN CREATE STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY FOR US IN NUCLEAR TALKS, EXPERTS SAY Israel launched pre-emptive strikes on Iran on June 12 after months of attempted and stalled nuclear negotiations and subsequent heightened concern that Iran was advancing its nuclear program. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared soon afterward that the strikes were necessary to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.” He added that if Israel had not acted, “Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time.” Dubbed “Operation Rising Lion,” the strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure and killed a handful of senior Iranian military leaders. Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
Misdirection and ‘deception’ likely key in Trump admin’s surprise Iran strike
Potential misdirection likely served a key role in the Trump administration’s successful strikes on a trio of Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday evening, which were abruptly announced by President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post just days after he said his decision on Iran would unfold within the next two weeks. “We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump said on Truth Social on Saturday evening. “All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow.” Trump’s surprise announcement came with no media leaks ahead of time, and followed White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announcing on Thursday during a press briefing that Trump would make a decision on potentially striking Iran within a two-week time period as opposed to an imminent decision. “I have a message directly from the president, and I quote, ‘based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,’” Leavitt said at a White House press briefing on Thursday, quoting Trump. TRUMP SAYS ISRAEL’S NEXT IRAN ATTACK WILL BE EVEN MORE BRUTAL: ‘MAKE A DEAL’ Ahead of the strikes on Saturday evening, six B-2 stealth bombers from an Air Force base in Missouri appeared to be en route to a U.S. Air Force base in Guam, U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News on Saturday. Fox New’s Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin said during an appearance Saturday evening as news broke of the strikes that reports of the bombers were likely part of the “misleading tidbits put out there to suggest that maybe President Trump had had put off the decision.” TRUMP FACES CRITICAL DECISION AS MIDDLE EAST TEETERS ON BRINK OF WAR “Those six B-2 bombers that were heading west towards Guam, they would not have made it to Iran in time to take part in this strike. So, that suggests to me that there was an additional B-1 package that perhaps flew eastward from Whiteman Air Force Base. Again, this was all part of the deception. There was a great deal of sort of misleading tidbits put out there to suggest that maybe President Trump had put off the decision and that this would happen two weeks from now.” She said this while speaking with Fox News’ Bret Baier on Saturday evening. “But as we knew, there were other indications, and we did not report earlier this week, even though we knew that Whiteman Air Force Base had put out a notice suggesting that the base was closed for so-called repairs until Monday, June 23. Now, if you look at the timeframe of where we are right now, those B-2s would be home at Whiteman by the time that notice and that would be lifted on Monday, June 23. So, that was put out a week ago, and so we should have had some clue that this might have been some indication of the time frame,” Griffin added. Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson added on Saturday:”Everyone woke up this morning to chatter about these six B-2 bombers flying West over the Pacific, refueling over Hawaii at about 11pm.But it’s clear now that those were decoys and that another flight of B-2s flew east, likely three of them.” TRUMP WEIGHS STRIKING IRANIAN NUCLEAR FACILITIES: ‘I MAY DO IT, I MAY NOT DO IT’ Trump said in his Truth Social post he will address the nation at 10 p.m. ET to provide details on the strikes. “I will be giving an Address to the Nation at 10:00 P.M., at the White House, regarding our very successful military operation in Iran. This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!” Israel launched pre-emptive strikes on Iran on June 12 after months of attempted and stalled nuclear negotiations and subsequent heightened concern that Iran was advancing its nuclear program. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared soon afterward that the strikes were necessary to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.” He added that if Israel had not acted, “Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time.” Dubbed “Operation Rising Lion,” the strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure and killed a handful of senior Iranian military leaders. ISRAEL LAUNCHES SWEEPING STRIKE ON IRAN WHILE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SEEKS DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION Trump has repeatedly urged Iran to make a deal on its nuclear program before striking its nuclear facilities, but the country pulled out of ongoing talks with the U.S. scheduled for June 15 in Oman and refused to return to the table in the days following. “Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign,” Trump posted to Truth Social Monday evening, when he abruptly left an ongoing G-7 summit in Canada to better focus on the Israel–Iran conflict. “What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
Trump receives mixed support from Congress for Iran strikes as war powers debate rages
Most Republicans are willing to give great deference to President Donald Trump to strike Iran — without Congressional authorization to hit inside sovereign territory inside another country. There are some concerns that the President’s aggressive action could peel off some pro-MAGA supporters — simply because Trump campaigned against getting involved in overseas conflicts. There are also divisions among Democrats. Pro-Israel Democrats have been calling for the US to strike Iran because of the threat it poses to Israel. TRUMP DECLARES ‘VERY SUCCESSFUL ATTACK’ ON IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM AS US FORCES STRIKE 3 KEY SITES Regardless, lawmakers from both sides are concerned about retaliation from Iran and its proxies. Even possible strikes in the U.S. from sleeper cells. Members of Congress will want to understand what risks lie ahead for the US as it infuses itself into this conflict — and what battle plans lie ahead. Expect a Senate-wide briefing on Iran to come Tuesday. ISRAEL SAYS IT KILLED IRANIAN COMMANDER WHO HELPED FUND, ARM HAMAS Now the question is what else the U.S. may need to do. Will Congress feel it needs to authorize further action against Iran, under the “war powers” provision in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution? CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., have a resolution to ban the U.S. from getting involved in Iran. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., will force a vote Thursday or Friday in the Senate on whether the U.S. should be involved overseas at all.
Trump declares ‘very successful attack’ on Iran’s nuclear program as US forces strike 3 key sites
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social Saturday that U.S. forces have successfully launched attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. “We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and [Isfahan],” Trump wrote in the post. “All planes are now outside of Iran air space.” B-2 STEALTH BOMBERS APPEAR TO BE ON THE MOVE HOURS BEFORE TRUMP EXPECTED AT WHITE HOUSE The president said a “full payload of BOMBS” was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. Fox News host Sean Hannity said he spoke with Trump and six bunker busters were used on Fordow. They were dropped by American B-2 stealth bombers. All planes are safely on their way home, according to Trump. President Trump reposted a screenshot of Open Source Intel announcing, “Fordow is gone.” Fordow, Iran’s main underground enrichment site, was difficult for the Israeli Army to destroy due to its location, leading to requests for the U.S. to use its B-2 stealth bombers and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs. ISRAEL WEIGHS OPTIONS TO DESTROY FORDOW IF IT HAS TO GO IT ALONE WITHOUT HELP FROM THE US Fox News Digital on Saturday morning reported six B-2 stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri appeared to be on their way to a U.S. Air Force base in Guam. The bombers reportedly refueled after taking off from Missouri, suggesting they launched without full fuel tanks due to the weight of carrying bunker-buster bombs — which only the U.S. has. “Congratulations to our great American Warriors,” he wrote. “There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.” This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Fox News Digital’s Lucas Y. Tomlinson and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
Mahmoud Khalil vows to continue to ‘speak up for Palestine’ after release
Former Columbia University student was released from a detention centre on Friday after being held for more than three months. Former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil has pledged to continue protesting Israel’s war on Gaza, as well as the United States’s support for Israel’s military operations. Khalil, who was released on Friday night after being detained for more than three months at a detention centre, told reporters at New Jersey’s Newark International Airport on Saturday that the government was funding “this [Gaza] genocide, and Columbia University is investing in this genocide”. “This is why I will continue to protest with every one of you. Not only if they threaten me with detention. Even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine,” he said. “Whether you are a citizen, an immigrant, anyone in this land, you’re not illegal. That doesn’t make you less of a human.” Born in Syria to Palestinian parents, Khalil, 30, was arrested by immigration agents at his university residence in March and swiftly became the image for President Donald Trump’s harsh crackdown on pro-Palestine student protesters and their possible deportation in the name of alleged anti-Semitism. The government has claimed that the grounds to detain and deport Khalil, a legal US citizen, were that there were inaccuracies in his application for permanent residency. But District Judge Michael Farbiarz said it was “highly, highly unusual” for the government to continue detaining a legal US resident who was unlikely to flee and had not been accused of any violence. Under the terms of his release, Khalil is not allowed to leave the country except for “self-deportation” and faces restrictions on where he can go in the US. Advertisement The government condemned the decision to release Khalil and filed a notice that it was appealing the decision. Adblock test (Why?)
What is the cost of the war between Israel and Iran?
Continuing strikes from both countries are draining their economies. Israel and Iran are in the second week of the conflict. As well as inflicting damage, both countries are putting their economies under strain. Israel has spent billions of dollars on its war on Gaza and has upped its spending considerably with its largely air-based attacks on Iran. Iran was already struggling with the years of sanctions and now its oil and gas facilities are being hit. So can the two nations sustain the conflict? Which is likely to be worst affected? And will the conflict eventually damage the global economy? Presenter: Neave Barker Guests: Aly-Khan Satchu – Geoeconomic analyst and investor Eyal Winter – Professor of economics at the Hebrew University and Lancaster University Nader Habibi – Professor of practice in the economics of the Middle East at Brandeis University Adblock test (Why?)
The Netherlands returns 119 stolen sculptures to Nigeria
The Benin Bronzes were artefacts stolen during the UK’s imperial plunder of Benin, modern-day southern Nigeria. The Netherlands has officially handed back 119 ancient sculptures stolen from the former Nigerian kingdom of Benin more than 120 years ago during the colonial era. Olugbile Holloway, director-general of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments, said on Saturday that the artefacts were the “embodiments of the spirit and identity of the people from which they were taken from”. “All we ask of the world is to treat us with fairness, dignity and respect,” he said at a ceremony held at the National Museum in Lagos. Holloway added that Germany had also agreed to return more than 1,000 additional pieces. The artefacts, known as the Benin Bronzes, are the latest return of precious history to Africa as pressure increases on Western governments to return items taken during imperialism. Four of the artefacts are on display in the museum’s courtyard and will remain in the museum’s permanent collection, while the others will be returned to the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II – the traditional ruler of the Kingdom of Benin in southern Nigeria. The Benin Bronzes include metal and ivory sculptures dating back to the 16th to 18th centuries. The items were stolen in 1897 when British forces, under the command of Sir Henry Rawson, ransacked the Benin kingdom – modern-day southern Nigeria – and forced Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, the monarch at the time, into a six-month exile. In 2022, Nigeria formally requested the return of hundreds of objects from museums worldwide. In the same year, about 72 objects were returned from a museum in London, and 31 were returned from Rhode Island in the United States. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
New insight into Texas family detention reveals adults fighting kids for clean water
A motion filed Friday reveals details about the conditions some immigrant families face at detention centers in Texas.
Trump demands special prosecutor investigate ‘stolen’ 2020 election, loss to Biden
President Donald Trump has called for a special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate the 2020 presidential election, which he has long maintained was rigged against him and in favor of Joe Biden. In a fiery Truth Social post Friday, Trump praised his administration for cutting border crossings to zero in May compared to the Biden administration, which oversaw the release of 62,000 migrants into the country during the same time last year. Trump said it was incomprehensible a president could oversee such an influx of illegal immigration and then took aim at the 2020 election. “Zero Border crossings for the month for TRUMP, verses 60,000 for Sleepy, Crooked Joe Biden, a man who lost the 2020 Presidential Election by a “LANDSLIDE!” Trump wrote. “Biden was grossly incompetent and the 2020 election was a total FRAUD! The evidence is MASSIVE and OVERWHELMING. A Special Prosecutor must be appointed.” Trump has argued for years that a series of alleged misdeeds led to Joe Biden’s 2020 victory. In the lead-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, certification of the Electoral College results, several pro-Trump marches were held, culminating in a violent riot at the U.S. Capitol. TWO MEN CONVICTED IN PENNSYLVANIA MAYORAL RACE ELECTION FRAUD CASE HIT WITH HARSHER SENTENCES THAN EXPECTED Trump and his supporters failed to convince Vice President Mike Pence to delay the certification by sending the results back to key battleground states’ legislatures to allow for further investigation or the consideration of alternate slates of electors. Pence rejected the demands, arguing that the Constitution did not give the vice president authority to decide which electoral votes to count. Trump and his allies filed dozens of lawsuits challenging the results in various states. Most lawsuits failed due to what judges determined was a lack of standing or insufficient evidence. Biden secured 306 electoral votes with 81.2 million votes compared to Trump’s 232 electoral votes and 74.2 million votes. RED STATE AG INVESTIGATING MORE THAN 30 POTENTIAL NONCITIZENS WHO VOTED IN 2024 ELECTION The president has made a variety of claims to support his assertion that the 2020 election was “stolen.” Trump has argued that ballot harvesting “mules” deposited ballots at late-night ballot drops after deadlines in key swing states. He made the claims central to his 2024 re-election bid, often using the slogan “too big to rig” to urge supporters to turn out in force and overcome what he described as a rigged or unfair system. “This cannot be allowed to happen again in the United States of America!” Trump said in the post Friday. “Let the work begin! What this Crooked man, and his CORRUPT CRONIES, have done to our Country in 4 years, is grossly indescribable! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump’s attorney general in 2020, Bill Barr, said there no was evidence of fraud that could have affected the outcome, and the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity arm pronounced the election “the most secure in American history.” It was unclear who Trump had in mind for a special prosecutor, but in the event Attorney General Pam Bondi heeds his call, she may face pressure to appoint someone who has already been confirmed by the Senate. The Justice Department in recent years has appointed a succession of special counsels — sometimes, though not always, plucked from outside the agency — to lead investigations into politically sensitive matters, including conduct by Biden and by Trump. The Associated Press contributed to this report.