Consider This from NPR - Was there an imminent threat from Iran? Senator calls for Trump to explain war goals

Episode Date: March 2, 2026

Senator Mark Warner tells NPR that the families of sailors in the conflict area that he has met with "have no idea why their sons and daughters are being put in harm's way." Warner says that the president should appear before Congress and ask for a declaration of war.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at [e-mail] episode was produced by Henry Larson. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Two days of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes have caused remarkable damage in Iran. In this video, published by U.S. Central Command, mobile batteries launch missiles. The attacks have killed hundreds inside the country, according to Iranian state media, including Ayatollah Ali Khomey, the supreme leader of Iran and other high-ranking officials. I once again urge the Revolutionary Guard, the Iranians. military police to lay down your arms and receive full immunity or face certain death. That is President Trump speaking on Sunday. Now, before this all began, the U.S. was engaged in talks with Iran over their nuclear program

and had planned for more. Then the strikes came. Now the U.S. government says that attacks, such as this one, from a U.S. Navy warship, destroyed Iranian naval vessels, command centers, and ballistic missile facilities and strikes across the Middle Eastern country. We have no problem with the American people. And we believe that this is not their war. This is the U.S. administration's war of choice.

We were talking with Americans. We were in the middle of the negotiations. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Ismail Bagheyei on Sunday. This is an unjust war imposed on our nation. And we have no other choice other than fighting against this injustice. Iranian retaliatory strikes targeted U.S. military, installations in the region, in Israel, and in neighboring countries like the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Kuwait. Three U.S. Army soldiers were killed and five more wounded in Kuwait on Sunday.

We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen. And sadly, there will likely be more. Consider this. The conflict in the Middle East has now taken lives on both sides. And it does not appear to have an ending in sight. The United States and Israel are at war with Iran, and it's a war that Congress never voted on. From NPR, I'm Emily Kwong. This message comes from Wise, the app for international people using money around the globe. You can send, spend, and receive in up to 40 currencies with only a few simple taps. Be smart, get Wise. Download the Wise app today or visit

wise.com. T's and Cs apply. This message comes from the BBC with their podcast, The Global Story. With Osma Khalid in D.C. and Tristan Redmond in London, the global story brings you daily news from where the world and America meet. Search for The Global Story from BBC podcasts. This message comes from the Pulitzer finalist NHPR team. Their new four-part series, Safe to Drink, investigates one of the largest water contamination events in New Hampshire's history. and the people who fought for answers. Follow safe to drink wherever you're listening. It's consider this from NPR.

In Washington, reactions to the strikes on Iran are deeply divided. The opinions do not split cleanly on partisan lines, though most of those supporting the strikes are Republicans, and most of those against are Democrats. Virginia Senator Mark Warner is a Democrat and ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He posted online after the attacks began that he had, quote, seen no indication there was any immediate threat to Americans from Iran. Senator Warner, thank you so much for your time.

Thank you, Emily. I want to start by playing a new video statement that the president published today. We're undertaking this massive operation not merely to ensure security for our own time and place, but for our children and their children, just as our, ancestors have done for us many, many years ago. This is the duty and the burden of a free people. So the president speaks of this war as duty and burden. What is your reaction to that, Senator?

Well, first of all, Emily, I am down in Hampton Roads, part of Virginia, where most of the sailors who are in the conflict area are from. literally I had four events today, half the crowd in every one of these events, new people who were deployed. And they have no idea why their sons and daughters are being put in harm's way. You know, the president a week ago said this was about Iran's nuclear activities, which he had claimed had been obliterated seven months ago. He then switched to saying this is about Iran's ballistic missile capacity.

And now in the last 36 hours, she says it's about regime change. You know, why are these sons and daughters now casualties, some of them, in harm's way? What is the essential criteria for America being in this war? You know, I can tell you, as somebody who is part of the gang of eight, there is and was no imminent, immediate threat from Iran against America. So why take this action now is the question I'm getting from the parents and friends of sailors deployed, and I don't have any answer for him. President Trump said in this statement, quote, sadly, there will likely be more referring to U.S. casualties. What do you make of that? Well, I make of it the fact that this is a war of choice chosen by Donald Trump in the Middle East where our record has not been great.

Again, there was no intelligence that showed an immediate imminent threat. That should be normally the criteria. As a matter of fact, if the president had chosen to take action back in January, when the Iranian people were on the streets and record numbers, he would have more of a case, but he couldn't do it then because the aircraft carrier that was needed was off the coast of Venezuela and our allies that would be normally supported, were concerned rightfully about Trump's plans on Greenland.

The moment is, it's incredibly fraught. But the moment is fraught, but like, remember the president has also recently said to call for the Iranian people to rise up. Yes. What do you? If the Iranian people rise up right now in the Iranian regime, if they were to rise up, if the Iranian people were to rise up, would that change your assessment of the situation? Well, listen, I am, I am.

glad and shed no tears about the Iranian leadership being destroyed. I mean, this is an awful, awful regime. But if the president is now saying to the Iranian people rise up, does the American, do we then have an obligation if the Iranian military brutally murders them after our president called for them to rise up? What obligation do we have? In many ways, this timetable of this strike, now was because he made similar comments in January and was not able to execute because of his other

military forays. So I think it's incumbent upon the president to make the case to the American people, to make the case to Congress, to seek a level of declaration of war. This is not something where the president had to respond to, again, the notion of an imminent threat. This is the president having a war of his choice. And he needs to get the... the assent of Congress and the American people. Let's talk about the options that Congress has. Your fellow Virginia Senator Tim Cain is one of those pushing a war powers resolution. The Constitution gives the Congress power to declare war, which it hasn't given for any of

Trump's use of force. Those efforts have not yet passed, and not all Democrats are publicly on board. Are there any indications this time could be different? Listen, I would support Tim Cain's effort. I think it is important that we should not cede all power to this president. to arbitrarily make decisions about where we deploy forces. Again, I just wish the media, I wish the president's supporters would listen to the families

of the sailors and soldiers deployed. Who you met today in Hampton Roads, who are very concerned. And are saying, you know, when is my son or daughter coming back? Many of these sailors have been deployed now for well beyond the normal six months. What is the plan? And are we about to engage ourselves in an endless war that may not only cost American lives, but American treasurer when we have many of our munitions are actually at a relatively low level at this point? Senator Warner, with the 30 seconds we have left as a member of the gang of eight,

who's a bipartisan group that's privileged information based on the intelligence you have, how does this now play out? I wish I knew. I do know this. is no imminent threat to America. So if the president chose to go to war, he owes the American people in the Congress what his goals are. And those goals have, there's at least three different goals he's laid out literally in the last five days. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, thank you so much. Thank you. This episode was produced by Henry Larson. It was edited by Patrick

Jaron Watananan and Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sammy Yannigan. It's consider this from NPR. I'm Emily Kwong. NPR News Now is your podcast source for updates every hour on the U.S. military action in Iran. President Trump calls it a war and says the goal is regime change. He also says U.S. casualties are possible. With news changing rapidly, listen to NPR News Now. New episodes at the top of every hour on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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