Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed congressional leaders on Monday regarding U.S. military strikes against Iran, describing the campaign as a preemptive move ordered by President Trump after intelligence indicated Iran would retaliate against U.S. forces if Israel struck first. Rubio stated the primary objective is to destroy Iran's ballistic missile capabilities and prevent their rebuilding, warning that "the hardest hits are yet to come." U.S. Central Command confirmed six American service members have been killed in action during the conflict, designated Operation Epic Fury, with major combat operations ongoing. Rubio also addressed congressional authority concerns, stating the administration complied with War Powers Resolution notification requirements and characterized the operation as limited in scope, explicitly not aimed at regime change.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the U.S. launched a preemptive strike against Iran because it believed Israel was planning to attack Iran and that Iran would subsequently retaliate against the United States. Rubio argued the strike was necessary to prevent American casualties that would have resulted from absorbing an Iranian counterstrike, and that Iran needed to be targeted now before it could accumulate enough missiles and drones to become untouchable within a year or two. Critics have noted the reasoning contains contradictions, as Israel would typically seek U.S. approval before striking Iran, and the U.S. could have simply blocked Israeli military action rather than launching its own war. Rubio confirmed the operation, which has so far resulted in six U.S. military deaths, will continue until Iran's ballistic missile stockpiles are destroyed.
The provided article contains no substantive information about Secretary of State Marco Rubio's actual update to Americans in the Middle East, beyond a brief caption noting he advised them of ways to stay connected to the State Department. The body of the article consists entirely of a TV programming schedule for Fox News, Fox Business, and other Fox channels, with no further reporting on Rubio's statements or the situation in the Middle East.
The article content is largely inaccessible due to a JavaScript restriction on the X (Twitter) platform, providing only minimal text. Based on what is available, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly described the war with Iran as a "generational turning point," according to a post by journalist Sidhant Sibal. No further details or context from the original post are available in the provided content.
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The Trump administration has launched large-scale military strikes on Iran alongside Israel, marking what President Trump described as the beginning of "major combat operations," prompting retaliatory attacks from Tehran targeting U.S. military bases in the region. The article argues that the U.S., not Iran, is the primary aggressor, citing Washington's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, deployment of multiple aircraft carrier groups to the region, and unconditional support for Israel's military actions. It contends that U.S. sanctions have devastated ordinary Iranians while Trump's shifting negotiating demands and history of abandoning agreements have undermined diplomatic credibility. According to polling cited in the article, 48 percent of Americans oppose attacking Iran, with only 28 percent in favor.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) appeared on MSNBC's *The Weekend Primetime* on Sunday, where she argued that U.S. air strikes against Iran do not constitute war, describing them instead as "strategic strikes." Luna distinguished between the strikes and a full-scale invasion, noting the absence of ground troops, while dismissing characterizations that the actions amount to starting a war. Her comments came in defense of President Trump's military actions targeting sites in Iran.
Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Rick Scott (R-FL) sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi on February 26, 2026, urging the Department of Justice to investigate Chinese-owned surrogacy agencies operating in the United States. The senators cited reports of more than 107 such agencies in Southern California alone, alleging they help wealthy Chinese clients obtain U.S. citizenship for their children, who are then raised in China under CCP influence. The letter raises national security concerns and requests information on potential federal violations, including immigration fraud and foreign-agent registration, with written responses due by March 13, 2026.
Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY), along with Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), have introduced War Powers resolutions in response to President Trump's military strikes on Iran, which they argue are unconstitutional and unauthorized by Congress. The article contends that the strikes lack legal justification under both the Constitution and the War Powers Act of 1973, as they do not meet the criteria of responding to an attack on the U.S. or its forces. Legal experts cited in the piece assert that Trump had no unilateral authority to order the military action, as no imminent threat was demonstrated. The article argues that Congress has a constitutional duty to assert its war-declaring powers, though efforts to do so face significant obstacles from Republican congressional leadership.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie warned President Trump that the U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran, dubbed "Operation Epic Fury," cannot serve as a distraction from the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The strikes, which began Saturday and resulted in the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, launched shortly after Bill Clinton testified before the House Oversight Committee about his ties to Epstein. Several Republican figures, including Massie, former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Sen. Rand Paul, have criticized the military action — with Paul arguing it was constitutionally improper without congressional approval. Early polling indicates only about one in four Americans supports the operation, which Trump has said could last four to five weeks.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held a press conference Monday alongside Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine to outline U.S. rationale and objectives for joining Israel in striking Iran. Hegseth grew visibly irritated during the Q&A session, pushing back on reporters who questioned whether the conflict could escalate into a longer war and dismissing an NBC News correspondent's question about a four-week timeline as a "gotcha" question. When pressed on specific objectives, Hegseth stated the mission was to prevent Iran from using its conventional military capabilities to pursue nuclear weapons, though he declined to provide detailed plans or timelines, citing operational security. The press conference was notably held before a press corps that includes more Trump-friendly outlets, after Hegseth's policy change stripped traditional media organizations of their Pentagon press credentials.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that no U.S. troops are currently on the ground in Iran while declining to rule out a future ground presence. When pressed on military objectives, Hegseth stated the U.S. "would go as far as we need to go" but offered no specifics on whether ground troops could be deployed at a later stage. The remarks came amid broader U.S. military operations against Iran, referred to as Operation Epic Fury, which has already resulted in at least four American service member deaths.
