Trump’s team makes case for war

Congress demands clear reason, strategy

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From left, US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday. AFP

(AFP)

US President Donald Trump's top national security advisers spent much of the day on Tuesday making the case to Congress for the US-Israel war on Iran, describing a rapidly evolving operation and leaving open the possibility of sending in American troops, Democrats and Mr Trump's fellow Republicans said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held classified briefings first for the entire Senate and later the full House of Representatives.

Missouri Republican Josh Hawley told reporters afterward the operation was massive and changing rapidly.

“The briefers emphasized this: it’s really changing almost by the hour, and I think the scope of it is very broad,” he said.