NATO's ‘Take Five' moment

With help from Joe Gould, Diya Contractor and Daniel Lippman
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NatSec Daily readers, Robbie here with a special note: After 150 newsletters, today is my last day helming the newsletter as I leave POLITICO for a new adventure. I've loved geeking out over all things natsec with our readers, so this is a bittersweet farewell for me! Fret not, however. Eric will be around as an interim anchor, working with the rest of the global security squad to bring you the freshest news of the day.
Without further ado, let's get into it one last time. — Robbie
NATO allies nervous about President DONALD TRUMP's commitment to Europe think they've found a magic formula to placate him. The magic number is five.
Alliance chief MARK RUTTE has put forward a plan to get allies to spend 5 percent of GDP on their defense — drastically boosting the previous NATO benchmark of allies spending 2 percent on defense. Top Trump administration officials have pushed this spending level aggressively.
But the plan also includes some workarounds (cynics might call them accounting tricks) to hit that 5 percent goal. That includes spending 3.5 percent on hard defense — think artillery, fighter jets, guns, etc. — and 1.5 percent on defense-adjacent funding, such as cybersecurity or military mobility infrastructure. One example: Ensure highway bridges are built to withstand tanks rolling across them in case an emergency deployment is needed.
Defense spending has long been a sore spot in U.S.-NATO relations. But it's taken on a new urgency with Trump's reelection and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Russia has transformed into a full-fledged wartime economy. And Europe is racing to rearm as allies on the eastern flank warn that Moscow could encroach on NATO territory if it is successful in Ukraine.
The 5 percent target will feature prominently in an upcoming NATO summit of alliance leaders at The Hague later this month. European defense officials privately say they hope the ambitious plan will placate Trump and show him that European allies are serious about taking charge of their defenses — at a time when they worry any public blow-ups with the U.S. president could signal discord within the alliance to Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN.
Current and former U.S. officials are cheering the move by the Trump administration to push for more defense spending. But they also question whether Europe can achieve those ambitions on an accelerated timeline that matters for European security, particularly as Russia shows no signs of letting up in its bombardment of Ukraine. (Twenty-three of NATO's 32 allies are on track to hit 2 percent defense spending by this summer.)
'I like the idea of allies committing to 3.5, but given that around a third of the allies don't even meet 2 percent yet, my question is how long will it take these countries to actually get there?' said JULIANNE SMITH, who served as U.S. ambassador to NATO during the Biden administration.
Trump's ambassador to NATO, MATTHEW WHITAKER, addressed these concerns today, as our colleagues Laura Kayali and Jacopo Barigazzi report. 'Let me be clear on this, we cannot have another Wales pledge style where a lot of allies don't meet their commitments until year 10 or year 11,' Whitaker told reporters, referring to the 2014 decision at a NATO summit in Wales to set the 2 percent goal.
'Some allies may try and pull a fast one and put some items on the list that aren't quite defense adjacent, so we're just gonna have to do some very strict monitoring of this,' Smith said of the plan to add the 1.5 percent of spending to the tally. That includes ensuring allies don't retroactively 'count things they're already spending money on,' Smith said.
So far, 14 NATO countries have publicly backed the 5 percent target. The United States is currently at 3.4 percent but prominent Republican lawmakers want to significantly boost U.S. defense spending further.
The Inbox
TRUMP'S HOTLINE BLING: Trump said he had a 'good conversation' with Putin over the phone today, as Cheyanne Daniels and our own Amy Mackinnon and Felicia Schwartz report. But Trump acknowledged that peace between Ukraine and Russia is not on the horizon.
Trump claimed Putin vowed to respond to Ukraine's drone attacks over the weekend and that the call was 'not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.'
Iran also came up, and it seems like Putin wants to play peacemaker between Washington and Tehran. Trump wrote on Truth Social that Putin 'suggested that he will participate in the discussion with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion.'
IRAN NUCLEAR WOES: Speaking of Iran, Iranian Supreme Leader ALI KHAMENEI today rejected a U.S. proposal for a nuclear deal that would see Tehran gradually reduce its enrichment of uranium over time, per The Wall Street Journal's Benoit Faucon, Laurence Norman and Alex Ward.
'To the American side and others we say: Why are you interfering and trying to say whether Iran should have uranium enrichment or not? That's none of your business,' Khamenei said on X.
The comments from Khamenei are a major blow to U.S. negotiators hoping Iran would cede enrichment capabilities for its civilian nuclear program. The U.S. has said it will not accept any deal that allows Iran to enrich its own uranium, meaning it may need to shift its expectations in negotiations.
TROUBLE BREWS FOR BIBI: A far-right Israeli political party in Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU's coalition is threatening to launch a vote of no confidence that could prompt snap elections in the country.
Reuters' Alexander Cornwell reports that the United Torah Judaism Party, an ultra-Orthodox party which holds seven seats in Netanyahu's coalition, is threatening to walk away from the government as Netanyahu mulls whether to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel from mandatory military conscription. The party's departure would put intense pressure on Netanyahu's coalition, which currently only has an eight-seat majority in the country's parliament. That could invite an opposition-led vote to dissolve the Knesset and hold new elections.
The move comes at an especially delicate time in Israel, as Israelis across the political spectrum have soured on the country's conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip, as well as the government's failure to bring back the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of the national security scene prefers to unwind with a drink.
We know it's Wednesday. But with Robbie leaving our team, we wanted to take a moment to raise a glass to him. Robbie said he'll be celebrating his run on your favorite newsletter by drinking happy hour Tecate tallboys (topped with a lime slice, of course) in honor of the warming weather.
'I need to drown my sorrows somehow, and I'll be doing it on a budget,' he said, tossing tissues over his desk toward Eric. Robbie has vowed to continue voraciously reading NatSec Daily after leaving the POLITICO family, and shake his fist in rage when Eric and the all-star natsec team scoop him in future reporting.
In lieu of flowers, Eric asks that you send him tips about U.S.-Latin America policy.
Cheers, Robbie! We'll miss you.
IT'S WEDNESDAY — AND THE END OF THE ROBBIE ERA: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at ebazail@politico.com, and follow Eric on X @ebazaileimil.
While you're at it, follow the rest of POLITICO's global security team on X and Bluesky at: @dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @nahaltoosi.bsky.social‬, @PhelimKine, @ak_mack, @felschwartz, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130 and @delizanickel
The Complex
FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — THE QUAD GOES INTERSTELLAR? A bipartisan duo of senators is pushing for the Quad alliance to look to the final frontier as a place for greater security cooperation.
Sens. MICHAEL BENNET (D-Colo.) and KEVIN CRAMER (R-N.D.) are teaming up to introduce the Quad Space Act, which would strengthen space cooperation between the U.S., Australia, Japan and India. It also directs the secretary of Defense to cultivate partnerships with allies to promote space situational awareness and space industrial, among other priorities.
The bill has decent odds of becoming law. The Trump administration has embraced the Quad alliance since taking office and has taken steps to boost its space policy capabilities.
AND FOR ALL YOU SPACE NERDS: We have stellar news to share (no, we're not sorry for that pun.) Our very own Sam Skove is launching a newsletter covering all things space (for Pros!). The inaugural version is out this Friday and you won't want to miss Sam's sharp analysis of astrospace politics — down to the policy, power plays and people moves at the heart of America's new intergalactic ambitions. Don't forget to sign up, and read more about it here.
On the Hill
YERMAK MEETS WITH LAWMAKERS: Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY's top aide, ANDRIY YERMAK, met with a bipartisan swath of lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week, offering insight into Russian war crimes and battlefield dynamics.
At a closed-door session Wednesday, the presentation included battlefield maps, drone footage of recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian air bases and personal accounts of child abductions, according to lawmakers involved. The Ukrainians also laid out how little ground Russia had seized for the 'tremendous casualties' they had incurred, as well as the 'potential for additional gains' in the war.
Sen. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-Conn.), who with Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM arranged the session, called it 'very powerful' and said there were roughly 25 senators in attendance from both parties.
DRUG BUST: The House Intelligence Committee is standing up a new task force focused on stopping the growing threat of transnational criminal gangs, our own John Sakellariadis writes in.
The bipartisan Cartel Task Force will work to bolster the intelligence community's ability to stop cartels that funnel narcotics and other illicit material into the U.S., committee leads Reps. RICK CRAWFORD (R-Ark.) and JIM HIMES (D-Conn.) said in a press release today.
The move comes just a few months after the intelligence community put transnational organized crime first in its annual compendium of global threats to Americans.
'The United States cannot allow Mexico, our neighbor and largest trading partner, to devolve into a failed narco-state run by violent cartels,' Rep. DAN CRENSHAW (R-Tex.), who is set to helm the task force, said in the press release.
Alongside Crenshaw, the five-member panel includes Democratic Reps. JASON CROW of Colorado and CHRISSY HOULAHAN of Pennsylvania and Republican Reps. DARIN LaHOOD of Illinois and BRIAN FITZPATRICK of Pennsylvania.
Broadsides
HOLY ROLLING ON AI: POPE LEO XIV is looking to position the Vatican as a key voice on the future of AI, at a time when the technology seems poised to disrupt most aspects of society.
Per our European colleague Hannah Roberts, the newly minted Bishop of Rome has continually expressed his worries that AI could seriously erode 'human dignity, justice and labor.' The Pope has already been the subject of a litany of deepfake videos, highlighting how the emerging technology could be used to spread falsehoods online.
Vatican AI adviser and Franciscan friar PAOLO BENANTI told POLITICO that the Catholic Church's role as 'an expert in humanity' could galvanize leaders, particularly those of Catholic countries, 'to create an AI that cares for man and is aligned with social justice.'
Transitions
— SOPHIA KIM, a former spokesperson for the New York State Department of Financial Services and the U.S. Small Business Administration, has joined the Council on Foreign Relations as director of media relations and communications strategy. Kim also worked for SKDK.
— JEFFREY GOETTMAN, former executive vice president and CEO of the Export-Import Bank, was tapped to serve as deputy U.S. trade representative. His portfolio will include Africa, the Western Hemisphere, Europe, the Middle East, labor, the environment and industrial competitiveness.
— Former Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN launched a new advisory firm, Clarion Strategies, alongside Smith, the former U.S. NATO Ambassador and former Pentagon legislative affairs chief RHEANNE WIRKKALA. Also joining are former Veterans Affairs Secretary DENIS McDONOUGH as a principal, with ELY RATNER and LINDSEY FORD advising part-time.
— CLARA GILLISPIE has joined the Council on Foreign Relations' David Rockefeller Studies Program as senior fellow for climate and energy. Gillispie most recently served as a senior adviser to the National Bureau of Asian Research.
What to Read
— Lara Jakes, The New York Times: Drone Attacks Are the New Front in War. NATO Is Trying to Catch Up.
— Max Stier, The Washington Post: What Marco Rubio's multitude of jobs means for America
— Ken Moritsugu and Kanis Leung, Associated Press: A quiet Tiananmen Square anniversary shows China's ability to suppress history
Tomorrow Today
— Asia Society Policy Institute, 8 a.m.: Political reset? Implications of the South Korea election for the alliance and the region.
— Atlantic Council's Europe Center, 9 a.m.: Poland's strategic partnerships in a changing world - new roads and old ties'
— Senate Armed Services Committee, 9:30 a.m.: The Posture of the Department of the Army in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2026
— U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, 9:30 a.m.: Dominance by design: China shock 2.0 and the supply chain chokepoints eroding U.S. security
— Middle East Institute, 9:30 a.m.: Pakistan-U.S. Relations Under the Trump Administration: Challenges and opportunities
— House Armed Services Committee, 10 a.m.: Department of the Air Force FY2026 Posture
— Brookings Institution, 10:30 a.m.: Backing Ukraine: What's Next for Russian Sanctions?
— George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs Sigur Center for Asian Studies, 11:30 a.m.: What's Next for Taiwan: Navigating New Diplomatic, Economic, and Security Dynamics
— Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 12:30 p.m.: The Next Era of Israel-Lebanon Relations?: Ceasefire Status and Political Prospects
— New America, 2 p.m.: Book discussion on 'The Future of Deception in War: Lessons from Ukraine'
— Center for American Progress, 2 p.m.: Discussion on 'America's Role in the World: The Value of Leadership and Alliance' with Sen. CHRIS MURPHY (D-Conn.)
— House Foreign Affairs Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, 2 p.m.: After Assad: The Future of Syria
— American Enterprise Institute, 2:30 p.m.: Emerging Technologies and Strategic Competition: A Conversation with Sen. TODD YOUNG (R-Ind.)
— Atlantic Council, 3 p.m.: 'Global Strike Command's Role in Strategic Deterrence'
Thanks to our editors, Rosie Perper and Ester Wells, who probably won't miss Robbie one bit.

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Miami Herald

27 minutes ago

• Miami Herald

Florida Democrats look to stop the bleeding during annual political conference

A question loomed over Democratic party leaders and volunteers on Saturday as they pumped hip hop through the speakers at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood: can Florida Democrats find a way to win next election season? Democrats in Florida have faced stinging losses on the ballot, especially over the past six years. Some point to fundraising issues as the cause. Others point to shrinking voter registration numbers. At Leadership Blue, an annual Democratic conference, several elected officials and party leaders agreed on one thing: they have a messaging problem, and President Donald Trump might help them solve it. Democrats mentioned immigration, tariffs and potential cuts to healthcare as issues that have caused division in Florida districts that voted Republican. Deportations in South Florida were central to the discussion, with issues like revoking Temporary Protected Status, instating travel bans and targeting immigrants who have not committed crimes roiling Hispanic communities. 'I think what's happening from the federal government being compounded by the state government, in terms of immigration, gives us an opening,' said Samuel Vilchez Santiago, chairman of the Orange County Democrats. Last year, Trump and Florida Republicans put a message out that they were for the working class, said Santiago, who is Venezuelan-American. He said Hispanic communities in Florida, many of which helped the Republican Party win competitive districts in Miami-Dade County, believed Trump would deliver on promises to lower the cost of living. But Democrats say Trump has failed to deliver, and they plan to take advantage of it. Those unfulfilled promises, combined with growing negative sentiment toward immigration enforcement, may give them an edge during next year's midterms, Santiago said. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who paid a visit to Leadership Blue, felt the same. Beshear, a Democratic governor in a red state, thinks Florida Democrats have a way to portray themselves as people that can bring change. 'What you'll start seeing is people who don't just feel regret, but they feel betrayal,' Beshear said, speaking about Trump's campaign promises. 'Because someone who told them they were focused on them is now telling them their kids have too many toys.' As a whole, though, some admit they could have done better with reaching out this past election cycle. Millie Herrera, a longtime Democrat and part of the party's budget and finance committee, thinks the party could improve in reaching out to every Hispanic community in Florida. Herrera, who is Cuban-American, thinks it's time to organize locally and year-round, rather than just during election season. In her Hialeah community where she runs a small business, she said she often hears Hispanic people say that Trump had promised to only deport criminals. The Democrats knew that wasn't true, she said, but failed to communicate that. This time, she is confident they will do better. 'We have always been for working people,' Herrera said. 'We have always been for immigrant communities. Maybe what we need to concentrate in our message is reminding them who has been there for us.' Present at Leadership Blue and handing out blue jolly ranchers to attendees, David Jolly, the former Republican congressman who announced his run for governor of Florida as a Democrat on June 5, said Florida is ready for a change and ready to build a coalition that leads with democratic values. While previously acknowledging Democrats have failed voters in the past, Jolly is hopeful Florida is ready for a change: A Democrat governor. 'This is a Democratic party that is united, and united to win,' Jolly said. Recent ups and downs Wins have been hard to come by for Florida Democrats. In April, Democrats witnessed defeats in two special elections for Florida congressional seats despite creating a stir by outraising Republican candidates. But even in defeat, Democrats celebrated because they outdid their previous numbers in both districts, viewed as deep-red and won in November by Trump by over 30 points. Josh Weil and Gay Valimont, running to representdistricts on the eastern coast of Florida and Pensacola, respectively, narrowed the gap to under 20 points each in their races. At the time, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power likened the Democrats' campaigns to 'setting millions of dollars on fire.' But Democrats see it differently. Because they overperformed, Santiago said, it's a sign that grassroots fundraising is the right path for the party. Weil raised around $15 million, with the majority of it coming from donations that were $200 or less. Weil, who launched his campaign for the U.S. Senate last week, said the last couple of years have been tough. As a public school teacher and single father navigating the rising costs of living, he said Floridians are unsatisfied. 'People are really disappointed in what they have right now, particularly in our red districts here in Florida,' Weil said. But becoming competitive again in Florida will be a challenge. Florida Democrats have increasingly lost ground in a state that was once considered purple. Over the past six years, Republicans have won by wider and wider margins in elections for both state and national office. The 2018 midterms were the last to deliver something resembling success for the Florida Democrats. They gained two Congressional seats, seven Florida Legislature seats and one statewide seat — with current party Chairwoman Nikki Fried winning the race for commissioner of agriculture. Since then, Republicans have surged in the state, securing super-majorities in the Florida Legislature, expanding GOP dominance in the Florida congressional delegation and ending the days when Florida was known as the nation's largest swing state. Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis — who likes to compare the Florida Democratic Party to roadkill — both won their most recent races in the state by double digits. In November, Miami-Dade County voted Republican for the first time in a presidential election since 1988. Alongside Miami-Dade, other left-leaning metro areas in the state swung red as well: Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Duval County and Osceola County. Pouring salt on the wound, state Sen. 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'That's what the benefit of being a Democrat is — we are a big tent, which means there's going to be different sides of the spectrum.'

Newsweek

34 minutes ago

• Newsweek

Map Shows Where US Strikes Hit in Iran

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A map shows where the U.S. struck three of Iran's main nuclear sites on Saturday, bringing the U.S. directly into the conflict between Iran and Israel after speculation over whether America's self-styled role as peacemaker-in-chief would embroil Washington in Israel's large-scale attacks. Trump said on Saturday evening that the U.S. had carried out "massive precision strikes" to take out Tehran's nuclear enrichment facilities and its ability to make a nuclear weapon. The strikes were a "spectacular military success," Trump said. "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated." The U.S. struck Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, Trump said. Israel launched attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and scientists—as well as the country's ballistic missile sites and other military assets—late on June 12 U.S. ET. Among those targets were Natanz, Iran's most significant nuclear enrichment site, and Isfahan, to the southwest of Natanz. North to south: a Newsweek map shows Iran's key nuclear facilities of Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. North to south: a Newsweek map shows Iran's key nuclear facilities of Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Newsweek But Israel could not effectively target Iran's nuclear program at Fordow, which Iran built under a mountain south of Tehran. Only the U.S.'s B-2 heavy stealth bombers and massive munitions work for that type of attack, experts said. An unnamed U.S. official told Reuters that B-2s were involved in the strikes on Saturday after the news agency reported that the U.S. had moved heavy bombers to the Pacific island of Guam. The U.S. hit Natanz and Isfahan with Tomahawk submarine-launched cruise missiles, two senior Pentagon officials told CBS News. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, but senior officials have publicly debated developing a nuclear weapon. The United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said just ahead of the start of Israel's strike campaign that Tehran was not cooperating with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years. Iran said it would get a new enrichment site in a "secure location" up and running. Israel and the U.S., as well as other countries allied with Washington, have insisted it is not acceptable for Iran to gain a nuclear weapon. What Has Iran Said? Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had threatened the U.S. with "irreparable damage" if Washington became involved in strikes on the country. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said in the hours before the U.S. strikes that Washington's involvement would be "very, very dangerous." "The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences," the minister said in later remarks posted to social media on Sunday. Trump, in his own post to the Truth Social platform, said any Iranian retaliation against the U.S. would bring fresh American attacks "GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT." Fordow, the Site Israel Couldn't Reach "A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow," Trump said in a post to Truth Social late U.S. time on Saturday. Experts said it would likely take several of American GBU-57/B bombs—weighing in at a massive 30,000 pounds—to take out more than just the entrance to Fordow. Manan Raeisi, an Iranian lawmaker in the city of Qom, close to the site, told the country's semi-official Tasnim news agency that "critical infrastructure remains intact" at Fordow. Satellite imagery captured by Maxar on July 30, 2025, and provided by Google Earth shows the entrance to Iran's Fordow underground nuclear facilities. Satellite imagery captured by Maxar on July 30, 2025, and provided by Google Earth shows the entrance to Iran's Fordow underground nuclear facilities. Maxar/Google Earth "What was hit was mostly on the ground and fully restorable," Raeisi said. "Trump's bluff about destroying Fordow is laughable." Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, told the BBC on Sunday that Iran's nuclear program "has been hit substantially." The IAEA said on Sunday it had not detected any increase in off-site radiation after the strikes on the three sites. Iranian state media reported key nuclear sites had been evacuated ahead of U.S. attacks, with enriched uranium moved "to a safe location." Satellite imagery captured by Maxar, a space technology firm, on Thursday and Friday showed "unusual" vehicle activity at the entrance to the underground facility at Fordow.

New York Times

40 minutes ago

• New York Times

Live Updates: Trump Claims Success After U.S. Bombs Key Iran Nuclear Sites

Top Republicans in Congress swiftly rallied behind President Trump on Saturday after he ordered strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, even as senior Democrats and some G.O.P. lawmakers condemned it as an unconstitutional move that could drag the United States into a broader war in the Middle East. In separate statements, the leading Republicans in Congress, Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the majority leader, commended the military operation, calling it a necessary check on Iran's ambitions of developing a nuclear weapon. Both men had been briefed on the military action before the strike was carried out, according to three people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss it publicly. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Thune both argued that the airstrikes were necessary after Iran had rejected diplomatic overtures to curb its nuclear program. 'The regime in Iran, which has committed itself to bringing 'death to America' and wiping Israel off the map, has rejected all diplomatic pathways to peace,' Mr. Thune said. Image Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, said that Iran rejected pathways to peace. Credit... Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times Mr. Johnson argued that the military action was consistent with Mr. Trump's muscular foreign policy. 'President Trump has been consistent and clear that a nuclear-armed Iran will not be tolerated,' he said. 'That posture has now been enforced with strength, precision and clarity.' But top Democrats, who were given only perfunctory notice of the strikes before they occurred, harshly criticized the move. 'President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East,' Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, said in a statement. He said the president 'shoulders complete and total responsibility for any adverse consequences that flow from his unilateral military action.' Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, demanded 'clear answers' from Mr. Trump on the operation and called for an immediate vote on legislation that would require explicit authorization from Congress for the use of military force. 'The danger of wider, longer, and more devastating war has now dramatically increased,' he said. Representative Jim Himes, the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, condemned the operation as unconstitutional and warned that it could drag the United States into a larger conflict. 'Donald Trump's decision to launch direct military action against Iran without congressional approval is a clear violation of the Constitution, which grants the power to declare war explicitly to Congress,' he said in a statement. 'It is impossible to know at this stage whether this operation accomplished its objectives. We also don't know if this will lead to further escalation in the region and attacks against our forces, events that could easily pull us even deeper into a war in the Middle East.' While Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas and the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, called Mr. Trump's move 'the right call,' the top Democrat on the panel, Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, said he had taken steps that could drag the United States into a war 'without consulting Congress, without a clear strategy, without regard to the consistent conclusions of the intelligence community, and without explaining to the American people what's at stake.' Leading national security Democrats on Capitol Hill were not informed of the strikes until after Mr. Trump had posted about them on social media, according to three people familiar with the matter who would discuss it only on the condition of anonymity. And one high-profile Democrat, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, called the operation grounds for impeachment. 'He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment,' Ms. Ocasio-Cortez of New York said in a post on social media. Democrats widely condemned the surprise attack as unconstitutional. But Ms. Ocasio-Cortez was the first on Saturday to say it was grounds for Trump's removal, breaking with party leaders who have avoided talk of impeachment since the president returned to the White House, after two failed attempts to remove him during his first term. The Constitution gives Congress the authority to declare war, but in modern times, presidents of both parties have unilaterally carried out attacks on other countries without congressional authorization. It has been decades since Congress voted on whether to authorize military force, and efforts to claw back the legislative branch's war powers have repeatedly stalled. Most of the praise immediately following the operation in Iran came from Republicans, many of whom argued that the bombings would not lead to a ground deployment of American forces in the region. 'To those concerned about U.S. involvement — this isn't a 'forever war' in fact, it's ending one,' Senator Markwayne Mullin, Republican of Oklahoma, said on social media. Senator Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, called Mr. Trump's decision to strike in Iran 'deliberate' and 'correct.' 'We now have very serious choices ahead to provide security for our citizens and our allies and stability for the Middle East,' Mr. Wicker said in a statement. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, whose unqualified support for Israel has put him at odds with other members of his party, was one of the few Democrats to offer an immediate statement of support. He wrote on social media that the military action 'was the correct move.' 'Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities,' Mr. Fetterman added. 'I'm grateful for and salute the finest military in the world.' Other lawmakers, many of them Democrats who had already expressed concerns that the Trump administration was considering sidestepping Congress's constitutional power to declare war, immediately criticized the strikes on the nuclear sites. Image Representative Thomas Massie, center, said the strikes were not constitutional. Credit... Eric Lee/The New York Times Mr. Trump, 'did not come to Congress to explain his reasons for bombing a sovereign nation and to seek authorization for these strikes,' Representative Diana DeGette, Democrat of Colorado, said in a statement. 'These reckless actions are going to put the lives of American service members and American citizens at risk.' Representative Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, who earlier this week introduced a bipartisan resolution that would require congressional approval before U.S. troops could engage in offensive attacks against Iran, wrote on social media that the attack was 'not Constitutional.' Carl Hulse and Megan Mineiro contributed reporting.