Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator John Thune praised the military operation as a vital step to counter Iran's hostile rhetoric and refusal to engage diplomatically over its nuclear program. Both leaders claimed they had received briefings before the strikes commenced. “The regime in Iran, which has committed itself to bringing ‘death to America’ and wiping Israel off the map, has rejected all diplomatic pathways to peace,” Thune asserted.

While they defended the strikes as consistent with a robust foreign policy, opposition lawmakers raised alarms about the potential for escalating conflict in the Middle East without congressional approval, highlighting the ongoing tensions and complexities of U.S. involvement in Iran.