US Senators Get Late Briefing on Iran Strikes, Democrats Fume Over Secrecy

Senators in the US are finally getting a classified briefing about the recent strikes on Iran's nuclear sites, but not without some drama. The White House had to push back the original schedule, which has Democrats pretty upset. They say the administration is keeping them in the dark, especially since the president didn't even ask Congress before giving the green light to the military. The briefing, which was supposed to happen earlier, is now happening behind closed doors. Top officials like CIA director John Ratcliffe and defense secretary Pete Hegseth are leading the session. Interestingly, Tulsi Gabbard, who was supposed to be there, seems to have been left out. This comes after she testified that Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon, which might be why she's not invited this time. There's some disagreement about how effective the strikes were. A leaked Pentagon report suggests that Iran's nuclear program was only set back a few months, not completely destroyed like Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed. Gabbard and Ratcliffe tried to back up Trump's claims, but not everyone is convinced. Some senators, like Rand Paul, are questioning the president's authority to launch military action without Congress's approval. Meanwhile, the White House admitted to limiting the information shared with Congress after details of the draft assessment leaked. They say they want to make sure sensitive information doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Trump sent a short letter to Congress about the strikes, saying it was to protect US interests and Israel. The administration claims they're still trying to talk things out with Iran through their special envoy. The Senate might vote on a resolution this week that would require congressional approval for any future military action against Iran. But with Republicans in control, it's unlikely to pass. Democrats are pushing for more transparency, but the administration seems to be playing it close to the vest.