President Donald Trump on Monday sent an official notification to Congress about the U.S. strikes against Iran, in which he attempted to justify the military action in the now expanding conflict in the Middle East.

In a letter obtained by FOX News, Trump told Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, that “no U.S. ground forces were used in these strikes” and that the mission “was planned and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties, deter future attacks, and neutralize Iran’s malign activities.”

This comes after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran on Saturday as part of Operation Epic Fury, triggering a response from Tehran and a wider conflict in the region. The strikes killed the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other military leaders.

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President Donald Trump on Monday sent an official notification to Congress about the U.S. strikes against Iran.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump wrote that it is not yet possible to know the full scope of military operations against Iran and that U.S. forces are prepared to take potential further action.

“Although the United States desires a quick and enduring peace, not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that may be necessary,” Trump wrote. “As such, United States forces remain postured to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats and attacks upon the United States or its allies and partners, and ensure the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran ceases being a threat to the United States, its allies, and the international community.”

“I directed this military action consistent with my responsibility to protect Americans and United States interests both at home and abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests,” he added. “I acted pursuant to my constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive to conduct United States foreign relations.”

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A general view of Tehran with smoke visible in the distance after explosions were reported in the city, on March 2, 2026, in Tehran, Iran.(Contributor/Getty Images)

Trump said he was “providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution,” as some Republican and Democrat lawmakers attempt to restrain the president’s military action, which they affirm is unconstitutional without congressional approval.

The president also accused Iran of being among the largest state sponsors of terrorism in the world and purported that the “Iranian regime continues to seek the means to possess and employ nuclear weapons,” even after the White House said in June that precision strikes at the time “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities.

US SURGES FORCES TO MIDDLE EAST AS PENTAGON WARNS IRAN FIGHT ‘WILL TAKE SOME TIME’

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A person holds an image of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iranian demonstrators protest against the U.S.-Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 28, 2026.(Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)

“As I previously communicated to the Congress, Iran remains one of the largest, if not the largest, state-sponsors of terrorism in the world,” Trump said in the letter on Monday. “Despite the success of Operation MIDNIGHT HAMMER, the Iranian regime continues to seek the means to possess and employ nuclear weapons. Its array of ballistic, cruise, anti-ship, and other missiles pose a direct threat to and are attacking United States forces, commercial vessels, and civilians, as well as those of our allies and partners.”

“Despite my Administration’s repeated efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to Iran’s malign behavior, the threat to the United States and its allies and partners became untenable,” he continued.

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

Justice Department moves to drop defense of Trump’s executive orders targeting law firms

2026-03-02T20:03:00-0500 / CBS News

Washington — The Justice Department on Monday moved to drop its legal defense of President Trump’s executive orders that targeted several high-profile law firms, according to court filings.

In papers filed with the U.S. appeals court in Washington, D.C., the Trump administration said it would be voluntarily dismissing appeals of lower court decisions that found the executive orders punishing the four firms were unconstitutional. The firms are Perkins Coie; Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP; Susman Godfrey and Jenner & Block.

While the Trump administration will no longer defend the executive orders against the four firms, it successfully extracted hundreds of millions of dollars in free legal services from nine others thatcutdeals with the White House in an effort to head-off directives targeting them.

“The government’s decision to dismiss its appeal is clearly the right one,” a spokesperson for WilmerHale said in a statement. “As we said from the outset, our challenge to the unlawful Executive Order was about defending our clients’ constitutional right to retain the counsel of their choosing and defending the rule of law. We are pleased these foundational principles were vindicated.”

Susman Godrey said the Trump administration “capitulated,” bringing to an end what it said was an attack not only on the firm, but also the rule of law.

“We fought for ourselves, but we fought for bigger things, too: for a Constitution that protects our freedoms; for a legal profession that depends on equal justice under the law; and for the people across this country who refuse to back down in the face of an Administration that seeks to silence and intimidate them — lawyers and non-lawyers alike,” the firm said. “We did not seek this fight, but neither did we run from it. And we won.”

Jenner & Block said in a statement: “The government’s decision to withdraw its appeals makes permanent the rulings of four federal judges that the executive orders targeting law firms, including Jenner & Block, were unconstitutional. This chapter has once again confirmed what has been true of Jenner for more than a century — we will always zealously advocate for our clients and put them first, without compromise.”

The Justice Department declined to comment.

The cases arose out of a series of executive orders that Mr. Trump signed in March and April of last year that sought to punish several law firms because of certain hires and legal work.

The president rescindedone of the measures, against Paul, Weiss, after the firm pledged to provide tens of millions of dollars in pro bono work to support White House initiatives. Mr. Trump’s directive had singled out the work of Mark Pomerantz, who previously worked at the firm and who oversaw an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office into Mr. Trump’s finances before he became president.

Each of the orders targeted the law firms’ clients, access to federal buildings and officials, and security clearances held by their employees.

In the case of Perkins Coie, Mr. Trump attacked the firm because of its representation of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign and hiring of a research firm that retained former British spy Christopher Steele, who produced the infamous “Steele Dossier.”

WilmerHale and Jenner & Block, meanwhile, had employed lawyers who worked on the Justice Department’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Among those was Robert Mueller, the special counsel who led the probe, at WilmerHale, and Andrew Weissmann, who was hired by Jenner & Block. Both left their respective firms several years ago.

The fourth firm that Mr. Trump sought to sanction, Susman Godfrey, represented Dominion Voting Systems in its defamation lawsuit against Fox News, which stemmed from unfounded claims about the 2020 election that were aired by the network. Fox and Dominion reached a $787 million settlement agreement in 2023.

Some of the law firms had also been involved in litigation challenging aspects of Mr. Trump’s second-term agenda, including his attempt to withhold federal funds from medical institutions that provide medical treatments to young people experiencing gender dysphoria and his firings of inspector generals across the federal government.

The four firms each sued the Trump administration, and four different federal judges ruled overwhelmingly in their favor, finding the measures violated the First, Fifth and Sixth Amendments. None of the executive orders took effect as a result of the litigation.

In a decision siding with Perkins Coie, a federal judge found that the executive order targeting the firm sent the message that “lawyers must stick to the party line, or else.” In ruling for Susman Godfrey, another judge found that the government “sought to use its immense power to dictate the positions that law firms may or may not take,” which threatened the foundation of legal representation in the U.S.

The judge, Loren AliKhan, said that the executive order was the result of a “personal vendetta” against Susman Godfrey.

At another firm, Covington & Burling, one of its lawyers, who worked on former special counsel Jack Smith’s two prosecutions of Mr. Trump, had his security clearance targeted. Smith’s cases against the president were dropped after he was elected to a second term.

The president’s executive orders led to a divide among the legal community, as a number of well-known firms reached agreements with the White House to protect themselves from being punished.

The executive orders that targeted the firms were just one part of a broader campaign by Mr. Trump to go after his perceived political enemies in his second term. The president has also revoked security clearances and protective details for officials who have criticized him, and the Justice Department obtained federal indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Those criminal cases, however, were dropped after a federal judge found the prosecutor who secured the indictments was improperly appointed.

The Justice Department’s decision to end its appeals in the cases involving the law firms also comes as it responds to more than 600 lawsuits that challenge many aspects of Mr. Trump’s agenda. Government lawyers have walked away from several of the cases, including one brought by the American Bar Association after the Justice Department cut off grants for training and support programs that aim to help domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.

A federal judge ruled in favor of the organization, and the Trump administration declined to appeal.

The American Bar Association filed a similar legal challenge to the law firm executive orders in June, arguing that the White House “used the vast powers of the Executive Branch to coerce lawyers and law firms to abandon clients, causes, and policy positions the President does not like,” in violation of the First Amendment.

The Justice Department was set to argue in favor of dismissing the group’s suit in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

以色列重开加沙过境点 允救援物资进入

发布时间 / 来源：2026年3月3日 10:59 / 联合早报

2月2日，好些巴勒斯坦人通过凯雷姆沙洛姆（Kerem Shalom）过境点离开加沙地带，入境以色列。 （路透社）

以色列说，将于星期二重开通往加沙地带的一个过境点，以便让“人道救援物资逐步进入”有关地区。

法新社报道，在美国和以色列上星期六（2月28日）对伊朗发动攻击之际，凯雷姆沙洛姆（Kerem Shalom）过境点也宣布关闭。

以色列国防部政府活动协调处（COGAT）星期二（3月3日）说，当局根据安全评估作出重开上述过境点的决定。

以色列上周六以安全为由，宣布关闭所有通往加沙的过境点，包括拉法口岸。

拉法口岸是加沙的关键过境点，两年多的战争期间一直受到以色列严格管控和封锁，此前于2月2日重新开放拉法口岸，但限制人员通行。

美国总统特朗普星期一（2日）警告称，其对伊朗的打击行动可能持续超过一个月。

以色列重开加沙过境点 允救援物资进入

2026-03-03T02:59:13.000Z / 联合早报

2月2日，好些巴勒斯坦人通过凯雷姆沙洛姆（Kerem Shalom）过境点离开加沙地带，入境以色列。 （路透社）

以色列说，将于星期二重开通往加沙地带的一个过境点，以便让“人道救援物资逐步进入”有关地区。

法新社报道，在美国和以色列上星期六（2月28日）对伊朗发动攻击之际，凯雷姆沙洛姆（Kerem Shalom）过境点也宣布关闭。

以色列国防部政府活动协调处（COGAT）星期二（3月3日）说，当局根据安全评估作出重开上述过境点的决定。

以色列上周六以安全为由，宣布关闭所有通往加沙的过境点，包括拉法口岸。

拉法口岸是加沙的关键过境点，两年多的战争期间一直受到以色列严格管控和封锁，此前于2月2日重新开放拉法口岸，但限制人员通行。

美国总统特朗普星期一（2日）警告称，其对伊朗的打击行动可能持续超过一个月。

内坦亚胡：伊朗冲突不会是“无休止战争”

2026年3月3日 11:19 / 联合早报

以色列总理内坦亚胡说，这场战事“可能需要一段时间，但不会持续数年”。 （法新社）

以色列总理内坦亚胡说，伊朗冲突不会成为“无休止的战争”，但可能持续一段时间。

内坦亚胡星期一（3月2日）接受福克斯新闻采访时说：“这不是无休止的战争，而是通往和平的门户。”

他也说，这场战事将采取“迅速而果断的行动”，但补充说“可能需要一段时间，但不会持续数年”。

另一方面，美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）星期一公布的最新民意调查结果显示，近六成美国民众不赞成美国对伊朗采取军事行动。

这项民意调查显示，59%的受访者不赞成对伊朗采取军事行动，41%表示赞成。

39%受访者认为，美国没有尽力首先通过外交手段解决问题，只有27%的人认为美国在对伊朗动武之前，已尽力通过外交手段解决问题。

美海军：解放军料很快部署两款新核潜艇 能从中国近海打击美国

2026-03-03T01:36:52.000Z / 联合早报

图为解放军核潜艇资料图。 （新华社）

美国海军情报部门负责人表示，中国海军已大幅增加潜艇产量，并可能很快部署一种新型潜艇。该潜艇能从中国近海受保护水域，发射核导弹打击美国大片地区。

据彭博社星期二（3月3日）报道，美国海军情报局局长布鲁克斯（Mike Brookes）少将在提交给美中经济与安全审查委员会的声明中指出，中国两艘新型潜艇095型和096型“预计将在2020年代末至2030年代期间服役”。这份声明是为下个星期一（3月9日）举行的听证会准备的。

布鲁克斯称，这些潜艇将在核动力系统设计、传感器性能、武器集成，以及降噪技术方面实现重大提升。

布鲁克斯指出，096型潜艇预计将装备JL-4型核导弹，“可从中国近海的受保护水域对美国大片地区实施打击”。他并补充说，该新型能力从根本上增强了中国的战略威慑可信度。

据报道，布鲁克斯的声明是目前关于中国水下力量最完整、最新且未列为机密的概述。

声明给出了美国对中国扩大生产、加快部署日益先进技术的评估，并指北京在力图追赶华盛顿的竞争中不断提速。与此同时，五角大楼自身的造船计划却因劳动力和用工限制而受到掣肘。

内坦亚胡：伊朗冲突不会是“无休止战争”

发布时间 / 来源：2026-03-03T03:19:10.000Z 联合早报

以色列总理内坦亚胡说，这场战事“可能需要一段时间，但不会持续数年”。 （法新社）

以色列总理内坦亚胡说，伊朗冲突不会成为“无休止的战争”，但可能持续一段时间。

内坦亚胡星期一（3月2日）接受福克斯新闻采访时说：“这不是无休止的战争，而是通往和平的门户。”

他也说，这场战事将采取“迅速而果断的行动”，但补充说“可能需要一段时间，但不会持续数年”。

另一方面，美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）星期一公布的最新民意调查结果显示，近六成美国民众不赞成美国对伊朗采取军事行动。

这项民意调查显示，59%的受访者不赞成对伊朗采取军事行动，41%表示赞成。

39%受访者认为，美国没有尽力首先通过外交手段解决问题，只有27%的人认为美国在对伊朗动武之前，已尽力通过外交手段解决问题。

Melania Trump presides over the United Nations Security Council meeting Monday, declaring that the United States “stands with all of the children throughout the world,” in a historic speech calling for “peace through education,” amid the U.S. military involvement in Iran.

The speech marked the first time a first lady from any country — and the first time a sitting U.S. first lady — presided over the Security Council as its members consider education, technology, peace and security.

The United States assumed the United Nations Security Council presidency Monday, just days after the U.S. and Israel launched a massive joint military operation against Iran over the weekend known as “Operation Epic Fury.”

Delegates attend a United Nations Security Council meeting Feb. 24, 2026, in New York City.(John Lamparski/Getty Images)

The attacks left major leaders dead, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The joint military operation is expected to carry on for days, as the U.S. military continues to target military and ballistic missile sites that pose an “imminent threat.”

President Donald Trump warned over the weekend against Iranian retaliation, saying that if Iran were to “hit very hard,” they would be met with “a force that has never been seen before.”

But the first lady’s appearance at the United Nations was scheduled before Operation Epic Fury began.

“The U.S. stands with all of the children throughout the world,” the first lady said Monday. “I hope soon — peace will be yours.”

The U.N. Security Council consists of 15 member states, with five permanent members: the United States, China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and 10 nonpermanent members elected for two-year terms, including Bahrain, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia.

“Collectively, your mission to maintain security while upholding the responsibility of preventing conflict during times of both war and peace is significant, must be applied evenly, and should never be carried out lightly,” she said. “Peace does not need to be fragile.”

The first lady’s appearance at the United Nations was scheduled before Operation Epic Fury began.(AP/Evan Vucci)

The first lady’s speech focused on education, saying that it “shapes the core of their country’s belief system.”

“A nation that makes learning sacred protects its books, its language, its science, and its mathematics — it protects its future,” she said. “This leads to something powerful — to greater understanding, moral reasoning, and tolerance of others. Peace.”

The first lady stressed that children raised in cultures rooted in intelligence “develop confidence, innovate, build, compete, and maintain a deep value system.”

“Their knowledge fosters empathy for others, transcending geography, religion, race, gender, and even local norms,” she said. “They become caring people.”

MELANIA TRUMP LAUNCHES PRESIDENTIAL AI CHALLENGE FOR STUDENTS

On the contrary, the first lady said that children raised in a culture “rooted in ignorance are surrounded by disorder, and sometimes even conflict.”

“These societies are filled with rigid thinkers who embrace prejudice and shun human dignity,” she said. “When a nation restricts thought, it restricts its own future.”

The first lady said education is a “fundamental human right,” but added that “so many children and young adults are banned from attending secondary schools and universities.”

“The cost is not abstract,” she said. “A society that excludes vast segments of its population can realize only a fraction of its potential. Societies rules by knowledge and wisdom are, therefore, more peaceful.”

The first lady declared that “knowledge is power,” and said, “We must capture this positive energy and ignite it across continents to transform our world — throughout our digitally connected human race.”

“Intellect blossoms humanity’s fundamental needs: shelter, food security, clean water and healthcare.”

“The global community must facilitate complete access to technology so that every individual can reach their full potential through education,” she said. “We must strive to achieve connectivity in the most remote locations and the furthest distances from our cities.”

The first lady said the objective “is entirely feasible and is already on the way.”

“Today, roughly 6 billion individuals, about 70% of people on planet Earth, have a mobile device and use the internet,” she said. “If our nations band together, we can close the technological divide, empowering all to reach their full potential.”

“From a solitary farmer on a remote Greek island to a quiet genius in Somalia or a dreamer in uptown Manhattan, anyone can read the vast treasury of human knowledge, created over centuries, which is now codified and accessible through artificial intelligence,” she continued.

The first lady went on to question whether a “single digital nation-state” could be inevitable.

The first lady said artificial intelligence is “democratizing knowledge” and creating a “new reality for our children by disrupting the traditional academic path to information.”(Taylor Hill/WireImage via Getty Images)

“Perhaps this idea isn’t so farfetched, since digital currency and payment systems via blockchain, plus AI’s massive factual database is already revolutionizing media and financial markets,” she said. “We are in the age of imagination — a period when technology can be free and unrestricted by land borders.”

She added: “Now is the time for our generation to elevate our children above ideology through access to wisdom.”

The first lady said artificial intelligence is “democratizing knowledge” and creating a “new reality for our children by disrupting the traditional academic path to information.”

“Let’s connect everyone to knowledge through AI, including those in the most remote geographic regions of our world,” she said. “AI can provide us with an understanding of each other’s needs and the needs for your children.”

The first lady said artificial intelligence is “redefining who gets to participate in the global economy of ideas.”

“I believe our shared intellectual future will prove to be a more secure, harmonious, advanced civilization,” she said. “The path to peace depends on us taking responsibility to empower our children through education and technology.”

The first lady stressed that “conflict arises from ignorance, but knowledge creates understanding, replacing fear with peace and unity.”

“Security Council members, I encourage you to pledge to safeguard learning in our communities and promote access to heightened education for all,” she said. “I implore you to build a future generation of leaders who embrace peace through education.”

The speech comes as the first lady continues her push as a champion of online protection of children and youth through her “Be Best” initiative launched during the first Trump administration.

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In 2025, the first lady garnered support on Capitol Hill for the passage of the Take it Down Act, which was signed into law by the president in May 2025. The law punishes internet abuse involving nonconsensual, explicit imagery.

The first lady also launched a nationwide Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge, which invited every student and educator across the nation to “unleash their imagination and showcase the spirit of American innovation” by visiting AI.gov to sign up.

A newly released video shows former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton storming out of the room during her deposition for the House Oversight Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein probe last week, after exploding at Republican lawmakers for allowing a photo of her to leak.

“I’m done with this. If you guys are doing that, I am done,” Clinton said loudly after the leak was brought to her attention. “You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home. This is just typical behavior.”

The outburst came in response to a photo of Clinton from inside the deposition room that was posted by right-wing influencer Benny Johnson. Johnson said in his X post that Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., took the photo.

Someone off camera then said the deposition would go off the record, and Boebert can be heard in the background saying she did take a photo before the deposition began.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stormed out of her deposition before the House Oversight Committee at one point after it came to light that a House Republican leaked a photo of her inside the room.(Oversight Committee GOP)

“Oh for heaven’s sake,” Clinton cut in exasperated, thumping her fist on the table. “It doesn’t matter. We all are abiding by the same rules.”

Boebert can be heard saying she would take down the photo.

“Yeah, well,” Clinton responded aggressively as her lawyer asked to take a break.

“I’m done,” she said again, leaving the table.

The screen then promptly cut to black for a few seconds before the deposition appeared to resume moments later.

The stunning moment was part of nearly five hours of footage showing Clinton being deposed by lawmakers investigating the government’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s case.

Clinton stayed behind closed doors with both Republicans and Democrats from the 11 a.m. hour on Thursday, emerging to speak to reporters a little after 5:30 p.m. that evening.

The former first lady and Obama administration official told lawmakers she had no recollection of ever meeting Epstein and that she only knew his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, as an acquaintance.

The deposition occurred a day before her husband, former President Bill Clinton, was similarly deposed behind closed doors for the committee’s Epstein probe.

Hillary Clinton, former U.S. Secretary of State, speaks to members of the media outside the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center in Chappaqua, N.Y., Feb. 26, 2026.(Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

When the testimony resumed, Clinton’s lawyer accused the Oversight majority of “violating its own rules” with the photo leak.

“I’d like to just say, for the record, we find it unacceptable, we find it unprofessional, and we find it unfair,” the lawyer said, noting the Clintons themselves pushed for a public hearing in the first place. “We are here in good faith, we are counting on good faith from all the members.”

Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., can be heard responding, “I’ve advised my members that no photos or videos during the deposition can be released. I understand the posted photo was taken before the deposition started. That will not happen again. And we will look forward to continue with the deposition.”

He also countered that the committee was “disappointed that the secretary’s opening statement was leaked to the press, before she even gave her opening statement.”

“It was not leaked to the press, it was provided, as with other witnesses,” Clinton’s lawyer responded. “What we don’t want is a secretary to be treated any differently than other witnesses.”

At another point, someone on the Democratic side could be heard asking Clinton about the photo leak.

Rep. James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky and chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, center, joined by Republican members of the House Oversight Committee, speaks to members of the media while arriving for a closed-door deposition with former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center in Chappaqua, N.Y., Feb. 26, 2026.(Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“I will confess that I had some concerns about whether the majority on the committee would treat me fairly and would, you know, fairly convey what I say and what I did and how I looked and how I responded,” Clinton responded, again noting the decision to have a closed deposition rather than a public hearing.

“So it was disappointing, and I regret that it happened, and it violated your rules. But that’s not the real concern I have. The real concern is, get busy, focus on the people that have something to tell you that can tell you about intelligence, money, and crimes, and get them before you. And whenever possible, do it in public.”

She was then asked if President Donald Trump should be deposed in the probe, to which Clinton answered, “Absolutely.”

Clinton noted both in her opening statement and in comments to the press after the deposition that she had never met Epstein and only knew his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell as an “acquaintance.”

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Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

Pennsylvania Democrat breaks with party critics of Trump-Netanyahu joint strikes, calls operation necessary to counter Tehran’s aggression

By Charles Creitz
Fox News

Published March 2, 2026 3:59pm EST

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joins ‘Sunday Morning Futures’ to discuss the upcoming War Powers Resolution vote amid U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran.

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As Democrats line up to denounce President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s joint strikes on Iran’s ruling regime, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is doing the opposite, forcefully defending the operation and rebuking members of his own party who call it reckless.

The Pennsylvania Democrat, who has increasingly staked out unapologetic pro-Israel positions, has openly questioned why critics from both the far-right and far-left are making hay over the strikes, arguing the operation was necessary to counter Tehran’s aggression. His stance is widening a visible fracture inside the party over how far to back Israel amid escalating regional tensions.

On Monday, Fetterman wrote that he’s “not sure why it’s controversial to anyone to appreciate and celebrate wiping out 49 leaders of one of the most evil regimes in recorded history,” after Trump announced the potentially four-week mission was ahead of schedule after discovering several top Iranian officials being targeted were reportedly in the same area and could be taken out at once.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is shown alongside a scene of a strike in Tehran, Iran. (Daniel Heuer/Getty Images; Contributor/Getty Images)(Daniel Heuer/Getty Images; Contributor/Getty Images)

After the initial strike on Saturday, Fetterman reposted an image from the “Israel War Room” that showed a Wanted-style poster of Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei with the word “Eliminated” burned across it.

“Let’s see who grieves for that garbage,” Fetterman captioned.

The former Pennsylvania lieutenant governor later credited Trump, saying in a statement that he “has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region.”

“God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel.”

He also openly questioned members of his own caucus, who have otherwise agreed that Iran cannot be permitted to nuclearize.

“Every member in the U.S. Senate agrees we cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon,” he wrote on X.

IRAN DIDN’T ADAPT TO AMERICA’S PLAYBOOK. RUSSIA AND CHINA ALREADY HAVE

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses the nation in a state television broadcast in Tehran on June 18, 2025. (Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran/Getty Images)(Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran/Getty Images)

“I’m baffled why so many are unwilling to support the only action to achieve that. Empty sloganeering vs. commitment to global security — which is it?”

He said Saturday he would be a “hard no” if Democrats forced a war powers resolution vote to claw back Trump’s authority.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Richmond press on Monday that he intends to press for a vote on a War Powers Resolution he filed in January focused on Iran.

Kaine wondered aloud in a separate public statement whether Trump is “too mentally incapacitated to realize we had a diplomatic agreement with Iran…”

“The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran. Every single Senator needs to go on the record about this dangerous, unnecessary, and idiotic action,” Kaine said.

Fetterman was not the only Democrat to sound off on critics of the Iran strike. Former New York Mayor Eric Adams, who is also a former NYPD officer, lambasted what he called the political fringes for ignoring the human rights abuses, mass murder and attacks on Americans committed by Khamenei, 86, and his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

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Rep. Gregory Landsman, D-Ohio, also praised the operation against Iran and compared the killing of Khamenei to taking out Usama bin Laden, but stopped short of endorsing Trump’s broader plans.

“There’s a lot of folks in Congress who don’t trust this president and I’m one of those people. In the end I trust the generals and I trust our military,” he told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

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Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.