Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee and an Iraq War veteran, told the “CBS Evening News” she is “deeply concerned” about recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Duckworth said she believes the strikes were “long‑planned, deeply‑calculated” and that the president “is breaking his promises to the American people yet once again” by engaging in what she called actions that risk American lives and national security. She criticized the administration for not presenting the Senate with the conditions or intelligence that justified launching the strikes, and said the moves undermine assertions that there was an imminent threat.
“I worry that the president does not have a plan for what’s next,” Duckworth said. She pointed to past U.S. interventions as a warning, recalling how initial promises to avoid prolonged ground conflicts in Iraq did not prevent long deployments. Duckworth said she fears American taxpayers and service members will “be paying the price for this for a long time to come,” and warned the strikes could pull the U.S. into a “forever war.”
When asked about Iran’s history — including support for terrorist proxies and attacks that have killed U.S. service members — Duckworth said her objection was not rooted in disagreement with Iran’s actions but with the way the strikes were carried out and the lack of consultation with Congress. She pressed for clarity on why the administration framed the action as a response to an imminent threat after previously asserting it had largely dismantled Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Duckworth also addressed the reactions inside Iran and among Iranians abroad, saying she shares their desire for the end of authoritarian rule but that “this is not the way to do it.” She urged de‑escalation and negotiations instead of military escalation and said she fears two possible outcomes without a clear plan: either U.S. ground forces could be sent into Iran, or the administration might end up working with local governmental structures it had hoped to displace — neither of which she supports.
On Venezuela, Duckworth criticized what she sees as a pattern of acting without a durable plan, saying previous actions left a chaotic aftermath. She reiterated that while removing authoritarian officials can be celebrated by those oppressed, military strikes without a post‑strike strategy can produce long‑term instability and risks to U.S. forces.
Duckworth closed by emphasizing the need for a clear pathway forward, legislative oversight and planning to prevent extended U.S. military entanglements. She warned that without those steps, American service members and taxpayers could bear heavy burdens for years.