US Strikes on Iran: What Senators Really Think

After a secret meeting on Thursday, senators from both major parties had different opinions about how much the recent US attacks on Iran hurt its nuclear program. Most Republicans thought the strikes did a lot of damage and would slow down Iran's nuclear plans for years. Some even used the same strong words as President Trump, saying the strikes "obliterated" Iran's nuclear sites. But not everyone agreed. Some Republicans were more careful with their words, saying the strikes achieved their goals but didn't completely destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities. Democrats, on the other hand, were more skeptical. They said the damage might not be as bad as the President claimed. One Democrat said the strikes only set Iran back by a few months, not years. They also criticized the White House for not having a clear plan to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons in the future. The meeting was held in a secure room in the Capitol building. Top US officials, including the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the CIA Director, gave senators details about the strikes and their impact. But even after the meeting, many questions remained unanswered. Some senators, like Tom Cotton, were very confident about the success of the strikes. He said the mission was a "tremendous success" and that the strikes would protect the world from an Iranian nuclear weapon for years. But others, like Mark Warner, were more cautious. They said it was too early to know exactly how much damage was done and how long it would take Iran to recover. The final assessment of the damage caused by the strikes is still being worked on. It could take days or even weeks to complete. Until then, the debate among senators about the effectiveness of the strikes is likely to continue.