Virginia lawmakers react after U.S., Israel launch attack on Iran

(WSET) — Virginia lawmakers are reacting to President Donald Trump's announcement on the U.S. military's "major combat operations" in Iran on Saturday.

You can read their statements below.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.):

“Overnight, the president conducted expansive U.S. strikes – not limited to nuclear or missile infrastructure but extending to a broad set of targets, including senior Iranian leadership – marking a deeply consequential decision that risks pulling the United States into another broad conflict in the Middle East.

Iran’s leadership has long supported terrorism across the region, undermined regional stability, continued to advance its nuclear ambitions, and brutally repressed its own people. But acknowledging those realities does not relieve any president of the responsibility to act within the law, with a clear strategy, and with Congress.

The American people have seen this playbook before – claims of urgency, misrepresented intelligence, and military action that pulls the United States into regime change and prolonged, costly nation-building. We owe it to our service members, and to every American family, to ensure that we are not repeating the mistakes of the past. The president owes the country clear answers: What is the objective? What is the strategy to prevent escalation? And how does this make Americans safer?

By the president’s own words, ‘American heroes may be lost.’ That alone should have demanded the highest level of scrutiny, deliberation, and accountability, yet the president moved forward without seeking congressional authorization. The Constitution is clear: the decision to take this nation to war rests with Congress, and launching large-scale military operations – particularly in the absence of an imminent threat to the United States – raises serious legal and constitutional concerns. Congress must be fully briefed, and the administration must come forward with a clear legal justification, a defined end state, and a plan that avoids dragging the United States into yet another costly and unnecessary war.”

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.):

“Has President Trump learned nothing from decades of U.S. meddling in Iran and forever wars in the Middle East? Is he too mentally incapacitated to realize that we had a diplomatic agreement with Iran that was keeping its nuclear program in check, until he ripped it up during his first term?

For months, I have raised hell about the fact that the American people want lower prices, not more war—especially wars that aren’t authorized by Congress, as required by the Constitution, and don’t have a clear objective. These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives. The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran. Every single Senator needs to go on the record about this dangerous, unnecessary, and idiotic action.”

Congressman John McGuire (R-Va.):

"Our Commander-in-Chief, Donald J. Trump, pursued diplomacy and issued clear warnings to the Iranian regime: abandon the pursuit of nuclear weapons and cease the killing of innocent civilians.

Despite these warnings, Iran, the number one sponsor of terror, has continued destabilizing actions across the region, attacking several of its neighbors and escalating tensions. As the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran grew, the United States, alongside its ally Israel, have launched a series of targeted strikes. This moment may represent a critical opportunity for the Iranian people to confront the oppression of their government and pursue a future defined by freedom and self-determination. President Trump has expressed support for the Iranian people in seeking change.

The United States is acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, to protect American interests at home and abroad, and to stand with those who desire a more peaceful and stable future. Stay vigilant and let’s keep an eye on each other. Please keep the brave men and women in our military in your prayers."

ABC13 also reached out to Sen. Mark Peake (R-Va.) and Del. Wendell Walker (R-Va.), who both declined to comment.