Senators emerged from a classified briefing with senior Trump administration officials on Thursday sharply divided over the scope and success of President Trump’s military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, with Republicans largely praising it and most Democrats expressing grave concerns.
Republicans left the session offering justifications for the operation and proclaiming it a complete success, even as some appeared to concede that the strikes had only been partially effective at stopping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
“It was not part of the mission to destroy all their enriched uranium or to cease it or anything else,” Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas said as he left the briefing led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth; Marco Rubio, the secretary of state and national security adviser; and John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director.
Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and one of the most outspoken Iran hawks on Capitol Hill, described Iran’s nuclear sites as “obliterated,” echoing the disputed characterization Mr. Trump has used to describe the success of the mission. But, Mr. Graham added, “the problem is not over,” acknowledging Iran’s potential capacity to rebuild its nuclear program.
Both Mr. Trump and Mr. Hegseth have denied reports that the uranium was moved in the days before the strikes were carried out.
Lawmakers had to wait nearly a week for the official briefing on the strikes. It finally came the day before the Senate was to vote on a Democratic resolution that would rein in Mr. Trump’s war powers, requiring that he win congressional approval before taking any further offensive action against Iran.
Democrats left the session venting frustration with Mr. Trump and his administration over the strike.
Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, said he still had “major, major questions” after the briefing and cast doubt on Mr. Trump’s claim that the operation had decisively dismantled Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
“The preliminary assessments suggest this has bought only a few months,” Mr. Murphy said, referencing a leaked intelligence memo.
Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, struck a similar tone, expressing disappointment over the lack of clarity surrounding the fate of Iran’s nuclear stockpile and saying the briefing only reinforced the need for Congress to have its say.
“Anyone in that meeting — anyone, if they’re being honest with themselves, their constituents, their colleagues — would know that we need to enforce the War Powers Act and force them to articulate and answer to some specific questions and a coherent strategy right away.”
Senators declined to share what was said in the classified session, but several noted that key questions went unanswered. The administration’s apparent reluctance to provide detailed information, along with threats to punish anyone found to be involved in leaking the preliminary assessment that cast doubt on the president’s claims about the results of the strike, has only deepened concerns among skeptics who argue that the White House is evading transparency and sidestepping Congress.
That has fueled momentum behind the war powers resolution led by Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, that is on track for a vote on Friday.
Still, many Republicans were staunchly supportive of Mr. Trump’s actions.
“It is so nice and so comforting to have a competent national security team in place,” Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin told reporters, declining to offer any details of what was discussed in the briefing. “I, for one, am comforted by having a president who is decisive, who took action to protect America, to protect our ally Israel, and at least for a while, take away the threat of a nuclear Iran.”
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