‘Patently illegal’: Critics dispute legality of Trump’s Iran strikes

Washington, DC – As United States President Donald Trump lauded what helium called the “spectacular subject success” of the strikes helium authorised against Iran, Democrats were speedy to impeach him of overstepping his authority.

Numerous critics accused Trump precocious connected Saturday of violating the US Constitution by launching military attacks against Iran’s atomic sites without the support of Congress.

“Trump said helium would extremity wars; present helium has dragged America into one,” Senator Christopher Van Hollen Junior said successful a statement.

“His actions are a wide usurpation of our Constitution – ignoring the request that lone the Congress has the authorization to state war.”

In the pb up to the US attacks, legislators from some main parties person pushed measures to compel Trump to attack Congress earlier launching immoderate strikes.

The US Constitution gives Congress the authorization to state warfare oregon authorise the usage of unit for circumstantial purposes.

Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) basal has besides been vehement successful its absorption to the US joining Israel’s war. It has pointed retired that Trump won the predetermination connected the committedness not to perpetrate Washington to yet different warfare successful the Middle East. They privation Trump to absorption connected home issues, peculiarly the economy.

‘Grounds for impeachment’

Lawmakers’ authorization implicit the subject was further enshrined successful the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which curbed the president’s war-making powers.

Progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Trump violated the constitution and the War Powers Resolution.

“He has impulsively risked launching a warfare that whitethorn ensnare america for generations. It is perfectly and intelligibly grounds for impeachment,” she said.

The president is the commander-in-chief of the equipped forces, truthful helium tin bid attacks, but his decisions indispensable beryllium wrong the guidelines of what is authorised by Congress.

However, the president tin bid the subject successful the lawsuit of a “sudden attack” oregon to respond to emergencies.

Several Democrats were speedy to enactment that Iran’s atomic facilities, which person been operating for years, did not airs an imminent menace to the US.

The US intelligence community confirmed successful an appraisal successful March that Iran is not gathering a atomic weapon.

Trump has progressively relied connected enforcement powers successful governing domestically, and present helium appears to beryllium sidelining Congress successful his overseas policy.

But with Republicans successful power of the Senate and the House of Representatives, lawmakers person fewer tools to power his subject decision. Impeachment is astir retired of the question.

President Trump sending U.S. troops to weaponry Iran without the consent of Congress is simply a blatant usurpation of our Constitution. pic.twitter.com/pqzAeS4K19

— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) June 22, 2025

No ineligible justification for strikes

Lawmakers person introduced bills nether the War Powers Resolution to prohibition attacks connected Iran without the support of Congress, but Trump is apt to veto the proposals if they pass.

Congress could overturn the veto with two-thirds majorities successful the House and the Senate, but Trump’s strikes person capable enactment to marque that result unlikely.

The US president has not provided a ineligible justification for the strikes, but helium is apt to reason that helium was responding to an urgent concern oregon mention an existing subject authorisation.

In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks successful 2001, Congress passed a instrumentality allowing then-President George W Bush to motorboat what would go the planetary “war connected terror”.

Millions of radical person been killed and societies devastated owed to the US wars connected Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, among others, waged arsenic portion of the alleged “war connected terror”. It has besides outgo trillions of dollars and the lives of thousands of US soldiers.

In 2002, lawmakers approved different authorisation to let the invasion of Iraq a twelvemonth later.

These laws, known arsenic the Authorisation for Use of Military Force (AUMF), stay successful place, and erstwhile presidents person invoked them to warrant attacks that were not specifically approved by Congress.

Brian Finucane, a elder advisor with the US programme of the International Crisis Group and erstwhile State Department lawyer, said the onslaught connected Iran is “patently illegal”.

“Even nether the prevailing enforcement subdivision doctrine, this is apt to represent ‘war’ requiring legislature authorization,” helium wrote successful a societal media post.

Statement from Rep. Ilhan Omar connected U.S. Bombing of Iran:

“The strikes connected Iran, ordered by President Trump and executed without legislature authorization, people a unsafe and reckless escalation of an already volatile struggle successful the Middle East.

“Military strikes volition not…

— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) June 22, 2025

Key progressive Senator Bernie Sanders was speaking astatine a rally successful Oklahoma erstwhile Trump announced the attack.

As Sanders told the assemblage astir the US strikes, attendees started chanting: “No much war!”

“It is truthful grossly unconstitutional,” helium said. “All of you cognize that the lone entity that tin instrumentality this country to war is the US Congress; the president does not person that right.”

Former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said lawmakers volition beryllium “demanding answers” from the administration.

“Tonight, the President ignored the Constitution by unilaterally engaging our subject without Congressional authorization,” she said successful a societal media post.