Congress to Receive Classified Briefings on Iran-Israel Conflict

Lawmakers seek clarity on Trump’s nuclear strike decisions and ceasefire claims

Tone & Political Bias: Moderately Center-Leaning

Why: The article presents bipartisan concerns and criticism of the administration while also including Trump’s own statements, without favoring one party’s narrative.

What’s Happening

Both the House and Senate will receive separate classified briefings Tuesday afternoon on the rapidly escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. The briefings follow President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to authorize U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, and his announcement of a ceasefire, which was reportedly broken within hours.

The House will be briefed at 3 p.m. ET.
The Senate will be briefed at 4 p.m. ET.
These briefings will be closed-door sessions.

Who’s Briefing Lawmakers

According to sources, the administration will send high-level officials from across the intelligence and defense community:

Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence
John Ratcliffe, CIA Director
John Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Christopher Landau, Deputy Secretary of State
Steve Feinberg, Deputy Defense Secretary

The goal: to provide lawmakers with intelligence justifying the strikes and updates on ceasefire efforts.

Why This Matters

Lawmakers, especially Democrats and some Republicans, are questioning the constitutional basis for the strikes, which were ordered without congressional authorization.

President Trump said the U.S. acted on an imminent threat posed by Iran following Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities.
Congress has not yet seen detailed evidence of that imminent threat.
Some see this as a potential violation of the War Powers Resolution, which limits presidential military action without congressional approval.

War Powers Pushback

A bipartisan effort had emerged to challenge the legality of Trump’s actions.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced a War Powers Resolution aimed at blocking the president from further unilateral military engagement.
However, Massie now appears to be reconsidering. On Monday, he told reporters he may pull the resolution if the ceasefire holds.

“If the ceasefire holds, and we're not engaged in hostilities, then it's a moot point,” Massie said.

Massie also signaled he’s open to repairing ties with Trump after facing political backlash:

“I'd like a ceasefire between me and President Trump.”

Trump's Ceasefire Remarks

On Monday, Trump declared that Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire after over a week of crossfire triggered by Israel’s initial strike.

However, by Tuesday morning, Trump accused both countries of violating the agreement:

“I'm not happy with Israel. When I say you have 12 hours, you don’t go out in the first hour and drop everything you have. I'm not happy with Iran either.”

The president’s tone marked a shift, criticizing both allies and adversaries in the same breath. His remarks appear to reflect frustration over a lack of compliance with the ceasefire timeline he claims to have brokered.

Reaction In Congress

House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged the fluid nature of the situation, telling reporters Monday night that the classified House briefing would likely take on a new “tone” following overnight developments.

Lawmakers are expected to ask whether Trump had clear intelligence before acting.
Some members want answers on whether the White House ignored congressional authority.
Others are concerned about the ceasefire’s credibility and the risk of renewed violence.

What’s Next

Congressional scrutiny may intensify depending on what is revealed in Tuesday’s briefings. Bipartisan War Powers discussions remain in flux, and legislative action could still be brought to the floor depending on the durability of the ceasefire. Lawmakers on both sides are preparing for difficult votes that may test party unity, executive oversight, and America’s role in Middle East security.