Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee and an Iraq War veteran, said she is “deeply concerned” about recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Speaking to the CBS Evening News, Duckworth called the strikes “long‑planned, deeply‑calculated” and accused the president of “breaking his promises to the American people yet once again” by taking actions she believes put U.S. lives and national security at risk.
Duckworth criticized the administration for failing to present the Senate with the conditions or intelligence that justified launching the strikes, arguing that omission undermines claims the action was in response to an imminent threat. She said she worries the president “does not have a plan for what’s next,” pointing to past interventions as cautionary examples. Recalling promises made early in the Iraq conflict about avoiding extended ground wars, Duckworth warned that initial assurances do not always prevent long deployments, and she fears American taxpayers and service members “will be paying the price for this for a long time to come.” She cautioned the strikes could draw the U.S. into a “forever war.”
When asked about Iran’s history — including its support for proxy forces and attacks that have killed U.S. service members — Duckworth said her objection is not to Iran’s conduct itself but to how the strikes were carried out and the lack of consultation with Congress. She pressed the administration for an explanation of why the attack was framed as a response to an imminent threat after prior statements that Iran’s nuclear capabilities had largely been dismantled.
Duckworth also addressed reactions inside Iran and among Iranians abroad. While she said she shares their desire for an end to authoritarian rule, she warned that military strikes are not the right method, saying, “this is not the way to do it.” She urged de‑escalation and negotiations over military escalation and outlined two outcomes she fears if there is no clear plan: U.S. ground forces could be sent into Iran, or the administration might be forced to work with local governmental structures it had hoped to replace — neither of which she supports.
On Venezuela, Duckworth drew a parallel, criticizing what she described as a pattern of taking military action without a durable post‑action plan. She said past efforts to remove authoritarian officials, while understandable and at times celebrated by those oppressed, have sometimes produced chaotic aftermaths when no long‑term strategy existed. Military strikes without a post‑strike plan, she argued, can create prolonged instability and heightened risks for U.S. forces.
Duckworth closed by calling for a clear pathway forward, stronger legislative oversight and comprehensive planning to prevent extended U.S. military entanglements. Without those steps, she warned, American service members and taxpayers could shoulder heavy burdens for years to come.