This article is made possible through Spotlight PA’s partnership with NOTUS, a nonpartisan news organization that covers government and politics with the fresh eyes of early career journalists and the expertise of veteran reporters.
Republican senators who were quick to cheer Trump’s Venezuela operation were largely more cautious on Iran, broadly keeping their options open on whether they would support military intervention on behalf of the protesters there.
Lawmakers who spoke with NOTUS on Monday night had no trouble condemning the Iranian regime, but several said they didn’t know what role the U.S. should take next. Most were not sure whether they would support strikes against leadership in Tehran, as Trump has reportedly considered. These Republicans said they had not yet been briefed on any plans.
“Iran has to be dealt with one way or another,” Sen. Mike Rounds told reporters. “I am open to the recommendations that the president would have.”
Iran has been rocked by protests since late December, when rallies sparked by soaring prices and a collapsing currency erupted before widening into broader anti-regime unrest. At least 544 people have been killed and 10,681 arrested in the crackdown since the protests began, according to Human Rights Activists News Agency, a U.S.-based rights group.
On Sunday, Trump said the U.S. was weighing “some very strong options,” and warned that if Iran retaliates, “we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.” The New York Times reported that Trump has been briefed in recent days on options for strikes and has not made a final decision. He is set to meet with senior advisers Tuesday to discuss further involvement.
“I think one thing President Trump is very good at is always keeping all of his options on the table,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday. “And airstrikes would be one of the many.”
“The president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary,” she added.
The last time Trump did so, it was received warmly by his own party. After U.S. forces extracted the president of Venezuela, Nicólas Maduro, from the country to face trial in the U.S, Republican lawmakers were quick to praise Trump’s move.
But as for Iran, as of Monday night, many lawmakers were still opting for a wait-and-see approach.
“You know, there’s a lot of options that I think can be used, and so I’m not going to jump to the most simplistic one,” Sen. Thom Tillis told reporters when asked if he’d support military action. “I’d say, give them every option on the table to try and help Iran.”
Sen. John Hoeven encouraged the U.S. to “work with our allies” to do something to help the Iranian people. But as to what that might look like, he doesn’t know.
“You know, sometimes we don’t talk with them, but we always need to,” Hoeven said. “We got a lot of allies out there that can be a part of this.”
Sen. Rick Scott said he stands with Iranian protestors, but he did not give a direct answer on strikes. “I stand with the people of Iran and I know the president does,” he said. “I haven’t seen what he wants to do.”
Sen. Jim Justice also said he lacks the “insider information” to weigh in on what options Trump should take. “It’s really unfair for me to say this is what I’m open for … because I don’t know all the circumstances,” he said.
Some of those alternative options are already in the works. Trump on Monday night dangled new economic pressure, posting on Truth Social that any country doing business with Iran would face a 25% tariff on exports to the U.S. He has also said he is open to further talks.
“Iran wants to negotiate, yes. We might meet with them,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. “A meeting is being set up,” he said, though he added that “we may have to act” before it happens.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said the communication channel between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is open and messages are exchanged when necessary, with Switzerland also serving as an intermediary. Araghchi told foreign ambassadors that Iran was “ready for war” but also open to dialogue, while saying the situation was under control.
Iran has also warned against U.S. action. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that in the case of an attack on Iran, all U.S. or Israeli bases and ships in the region would be legitimate targets.
Whether Republicans will broadly support military action if push comes to shove is an open question, particularly since five of them voted with Democrats on a resolution last week that would limit Trump’s ability to make further military moves in Venezuela without prior congressional approval. Sen. Josh Hawley, one of those five, told reporters Monday he hasn’t spoken with Trump about Iran yet and hasn’t been briefed on any plans.
“The regime in Iran is a terrible regime, it’s an evil regime,” Hawley said. “What should our posture be in terms of, how should we be involved? I just, I don’t know enough to know or to picture. I need to know more about what’s happening on the ground and what he’s considering.”
Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat who led the Venezuela resolution, told reporters that not only would military action without congressional approval be illegal, but he also had deeper concerns about the optics of American intervention.
“We can, you know, focus on things like sanctions and other tools, and shine a spotlight and offer support, moral support, to protesters, but intervening in Iranian politics, especially the U.S. military, it would just call up this horrible history that has made it very, very challenging between the U.S. and Iran for the last 75 years,” Kaine said.
On the other hand, Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat who has previously voted with Republicans on strikes against Iran, said he saw no reason not to do so again, if it would help the Iranian people.
“I do, I do support, if that makes sense, absolutely,” Fetterman said of military action. “Why can’t we all agree that Iran is a terrible force in our world, and why isn’t it better to help end their regime?”
“I was the only Democrat to [vote to] destroy their nuclear facilities, and that was the right thing. So that’s where I am right now,” he added. “And if you think Iran should have a nuclear bomb, and you think their regime is just peachy, then you and I can disagree on that.”