Bipartisan lawmakers say Congress should not tie Trump’s hands on Iran

In a joint statement, Representatives Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey, and Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York, said they would oppose the bipartisan Massie-Khanna War Powers Resolution, which seeks to require explicit congressional authorization for military action against Iran.

The lawmakers framed their stance around security concerns, saying the United States must retain operational flexibility. “This resolution would restrict the flexibility needed to respond to real and evolving threats and risks signaling weakness at a dangerous moment.”

The pushback comes as Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie prepare to force a House vote on their 2025 War Powers Resolution, which would require explicit congressional authorization before President Donald Trump could launch military action against Iran.

Khanna said he plans to use a procedural move to bring the measure to the floor as the US military completes its buildup in preparation for a potential strike on Iran.

Supporters say the measure is intended to reassert Congress’s constitutional authority over decisions that could lead to war and to ensure lawmakers debate any move that could put US troops in harm’s way.

Gottheimer and Lawler said they respect congressional oversight but warned against tying the hands of the executive branch.

“We respect and defend Congress’s constitutional role in matters of war. Oversight and debate are absolutely vital,” they said, adding that lawmakers should be fully briefed on any planned military action under the War Powers Act.

In their statement, the two lawmakers also accused Tehran of continuing to pursue a nuclear weapon and rebuild ballistic missile capabilities following recent regional tensions. They described Iran as “the world’s leading state-sponsor of terror” and cited its support for armed groups across the Middle East.

The lawmakers further pointed to Iran’s domestic crackdown following nationwide protests in January when nearly 40,000 people were killed, saying they stand with Iranians “demanding basic rights and dignity.”

The debate is unfolding as the United States has surged military assets closer to Iran while simultaneously pursuing talks aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear program. Trump recently said that regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen,” underscoring the heightened stakes surrounding the congressional effort.

In a message from Tehran's Evin prison, the couple said they would reach fourteen months in detention on March 4, 2026, and vowed to continue their hunger strike until they are freed.

The Foremans, both in their 50s, were arrested in January 2025 while on a motorcycle trip through Iran. Their family says they had valid visas, a licensed guide and an approved itinerary. They deny the espionage charges.

In their letter, the couple said their detention violates Iran’s own constitution, citing Article 39, which guarantees dignity, and Article 37, which presumes innocence.

They described being summoned on January 24, 2025, for questioning.

“We were then aggressively bundled into the back of an unmarked car… We were blindfolded and aggressively maneuvered to a 2.5-meter square dirty, furniture-less cell, after stripping naked and given prison clothes to wear,” they wrote.

‘No explanation’

They said they received “no explanation, no information” and were held in solitary confinement for 56 days, spending up to nearly 24 hours a day alone.

Within 24 hours, they said, interrogators told them: “We know you are a spy, no one is coming to save you, and we will show you how bad we can be unless you cooperate fully.”

The couple said repeated requests to choose their own lawyer were denied. Their first court-appointed lawyer met them more than three months after their arrest and submitted a defense letter “declaring our innocence."

‘No proof’

Lindsay Foreman said she was repeatedly questioned about her personal beliefs.

“I was told I was a Jew, I was told I was a feminist, I was told I supported Israel, and I was told I thought that Iran was dark,” she wrote.

On July 29, 2025, they said they were informed they had been convicted of espionage “with no accompanying proof and no trial.”

The only evidence presented against her, Lindsay Foreman said, was “a photo of a conference pass for the European Positive Psychology Conference, showing the name of a man who may have been from Israel.”

“For Craig, there is no evidence whatsoever,” they wrote. “We’ve had no justice in the seven months since our first court session.”

Britain’s foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, called their sentence “completely appalling and totally unjustifiable,” pledging to pursue the case “relentlessly” until they are returned to the UK.

A member of the Iranian parliament's national security commission said the approach of US aircraft carriers toward Iran does not automatically indicate an imminent conflict.

Salar Velayatmadar said that whenever an American carrier moved to within roughly 700 to 800 kilometers of Iran, officials would even grant leave to forces because they did not expect war.

“When the US carrier gets that close, it is effectively like an easy target within our range, and no rational actor would take such a risk,” he said.

Velayatmadar added that the situation should be viewed as more serious when US naval forces increase their distance from Iran.

US President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday he may be "considering" a limited strike on Iran.

"I guess I can say I am considering that," he said when asked about such a military campaign.

The Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported the Trump administration is weighing an initial limited military strike on Iran to force it to meet his demands for a nuclear deal.

The United States is withdrawing much of its planned air power, including F-35 fighter jets, from the NATO exercise Cold Response in northern Norway due to rising tensions with Iran, Norwegian newspaper Fremover reported.

Norway’s armed forces confirmed to Fremover that some US forces would not take part and would be deployed elsewhere.

The move comes as Washington builds up military assets in the Middle East amid the risk of a wider conflict with Iran. The exercise will continue with remaining forces, according to the report.