1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I am writing to demand immediate congressional action regarding Operation Epic Fury, the military strikes against Iran that have already cost three American service members their lives, with five more seriously wounded. The administration has provided no coherent plan for success, and I urge you to invoke the War Powers Resolution to halt further military action. According to CNN reporting, Pentagon briefers told congressional staff that Iran had NOT been planning to attack U.S. forces or bases unless Israel attacked first. This directly contradicts the administration's claim of an imminent threat that justified these strikes. The President told NBC News he launched the operation because Iran "weren't willing to stop their nuclear research," a rationale that does not meet the legal threshold for military action without congressional authorization. The lack of strategic planning is alarming. The President told ABC News' Jonathan Karl that the U.S. had identified possible candidates to lead Iran after regime change, but "the attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates. It's not going to be anybody that we were thinking of because they are all dead." When Senator Lindsey Graham was asked if "hope" was the plan for Iran's future, he responded that it's "not his job or my job" to guarantee outcomes. This is unacceptable when American lives are at stake. The strikes have already destabilized global oil markets, with traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries 20% of world oil, nearly halting. The conflict is expanding, with Hezbollah now involved and Iran retaliating against U.S. bases. The President told the New York Times he intends to keep bombing for "4-5 weeks if necessary," yet has offered contradictory statements about the end game to different reporters. Congress has a constitutional duty to authorize military action. I urge you to invoke the War Powers Resolution immediately, demand a full briefing on the legal and strategic justification for these strikes, and hold this administration accountable for launching military action without a plan for success. American service members deserve better than to die for an operation with no clear objective.