Democrat, Republican Senate veterans diverge on Iran war wisdom

Iran’s mission to the United Nations has formally requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council following US airstrikes on its nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

In a letter addressed to the Council, Iran condemned what it described as a "blatant and unlawful act of aggression" and urged the Security Council to respond immediately.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran urgently demands that the Security Council convene without delay to address this clear act of aggression, condemn it in the strongest possible terms, and take all necessary measures within its mandate under the UN Charter to ensure the perpetrators are held fully accountable and do not escape punishment,” the letter said.

"In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people," Iran's foreign minister said in reaction to US attacks.

"The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations. The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences," Abbas Araghchi said.

"Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior."

It is too early to know exactly what the results of the US strike in Iran are, but “what is certain is that Iran’s nuclear program has been set back by years," Axios reported citing a senior Israeli official.

Following the US strikes, if a good agreement is reached with Iran, it would be “the end of the story” for Iran’s nuclear program, the official was quoted as saying.

If no nuclear agreement is reached and if Iran tries to rebuild its nuclear facilities, Israel will strike again, Axios added citing the official.

“The Islamic Resistance Movement condemns in the strongest terms the blatant American aggression," the Iran-backed Palestinian group said. "This brutal aggression constitutes a dangerous escalation, a blind pursuit of the rogue Zionist occupation's agendas."

"We consider it a glaring example of the policy of imposing hegemony through the logic of force, an aggression based on the law of the jungle," Hamas said in a statement.

"We affirm our solidarity with our brothers in the Islamic Republic, leadership and people alike, and our complete confidence in Iran's ability to defend its sovereignty and its people's interests, and to confront this aggression."

"There were a handful of us who encouraged this night, who said that we need to take military action to bring about this result. It's not so much that we convinced President Trump, he knew what to do," Conservative talk show host Mark Levin said.

"He instinctively knows what to do. He's a brilliant, brilliant man," said Levin, an influential media figure who is close to Trump and had publicly advocated for US attacks.

"There is a right and wrong when you're talking about a free democracy in Israel, and you're talking about Islamist death cult that Iran was," Levin added.

"The enemy is never dead. These people never stop. This is what I try to tell do you talk about forever wars? Good versus evil is forever."