February 23, 2026
- Iran and its proxy militias have been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. service members and personnel. The regime has also subjected its own people to sustained repression and brutality, including last month’s violent crackdown in which at least 3,000 Iranians were reportedly killed in just three days — with the true toll likely far higher.
- President Trump previously pledged to stand with the Iranian people facing violence for exercising their basic rights. The U.S. should continue to support the courageous Iranian people, who deserve dignity, opportunity, and fundamental freedoms.
- Iran and its proxies have been weakened during the past two years, but they continue to pose a threat and call for the destruction of the U.S. and Israel.
- Reports indicate that Iran has replenished its arsenal of ballistic missiles and intends to continue uranium enrichment following damage to both capabilities during the war last June.
- Iran also continues to threaten Israel and U.S. interests in the region through its network of terrorist proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
- President Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran without defining his broader policy, strategy, objectives, and how U.S. military action would fit into it — a troubling approach given that any confrontation with Iran carries serious risks for U.S. service members, allies, and broader regional stability.
- President Trump repeatedly asserted that last June’s strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, while subsequent assessments indicated the program was set back but not eliminated.
- Similarly, President Trump withheld from Congress his plans for regime change in Venezuela, and the Administration has refused to provide any subsequent explanation to Congress or to the American people of its Venezuela policy, strategy, or objectives following last month’s operation to remove President Maduro.
- This erratic pattern has eroded Trump’s credibility with the American people, and it has weakened confidence in U.S. leadership at a moment when effective deterrence and allied security depend on strategic clarity and consistency.
- As discussions of potential military action intensify, President Trump must lay out his Iran policy and strategy, and the role of U.S. military action in achieving those objectives.
- The President should use the upcoming State of the Union to lay out the threat; the legal basis for potential action; the strategic objectives of any operation; a credible plan for mitigating any potential retaliation; and the criteria for success and drawdown.
- A diplomatic solution to end Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs would be preferable to war. However, if there is credible, verifiable evidence that Iran poses an imminent threat, targeted U.S. military action may be justified, particularly when necessary to protect American lives and allied security.
- Any consideration of strikes against the regime should weigh necessity, legality, and the risks to domestic and regional stability given the uncertainty of what might come next.
- Congress must be able to exercise its constitutional role and have the opportunity to engage in public debate; and the Trump Administration must provide classified briefings to Congress with details about the extent and nature of the threat posed by Iran.
- In the event of Iranian strikes against Israel, U.S. leadership will be essential, both in defending Israel and — if necessary — in mobilizing an international coalition to support missile defense and broader regional stability.