Trump Weighs Military Action Against Iran Amid Mounting Legal Concerns

President Donald Trump is contemplating whether to bid U.S. connected Iran and will make a determination wrong 2 weeks, White House officials said Thursday, capping days of aggravated speculation astir nan president’s scheme successful nan region—and rubbing disconnected caller fears of escalation, retaliation, and semipermanent engagement successful different overseas conflict.

Trump spent overmuch of nan week musing publically astir nan imaginable of involving nan U.S. much straight successful nan Israeli-Iranian conflict, arsenic nan 2 countries continued to transportation retired deadly strikes against 1 another. As nan week went on, Trump continued to break pinch attempts by Cabinet officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had attempted to region nan domiciled nan U.S. played successful helping Israel.

Trump warned connected societal media Wednesday that nan U.S. has "complete and full power of nan skies complete Iran," and demanded an "unconstitutional surrender" from Iran. 

He has besides many times refused to norm retired nan imaginable of carrying retired a nonstop onslaught connected Iran. "I whitethorn do it. I whitethorn not do it," he told reporters Wednesday. "I mean, cipher knows what I'm going to do," he said.

That statement, much than immoderate others, illustrates nan cardinal mobility thrumming done overmuch of Washington this week, arsenic Trump continues to huddle pinch advisers for meetings successful nan Situation Room, including astatine slightest 1 gathering wherever he reportedly approved onslaught plans against Tehran, successful nan arena they grounded to put an extremity to their atomic program, arsenic nan management demanded. (News of that gathering was first reported by nan Wall Street Journal.)

TRUMP TO MAKE IRAN DECISION 'WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS' GIVEN 'CHANCE' OF NEGOTIATIONS, LEAVITT SAYS

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that President Donald Trump will make a determination connected nan U.S. becoming progressive successful Israel's conflict pinch Iran wrong nan adjacent 2 weeks. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt declined to elaborate connected nan quality of U.S.-Iranian talks connected Thursday, telling reporters only that Trump planned to make a determination connected really to proceed wrong nan two-week period. 

Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected negotiations pinch nan U.S. connected Wednesday, informing that if it attacked Iran, nan U.S. "without doubt, will look irreparable harm."

Here's what we cognize astir Trump's options, should he take to bid U.S. strikes connected Iran— and nan risks, ineligible and otherwise, nan U.S. could brushwood arsenic a result.

War Powers Resolution

Trump has been weighing ordering nan U.S. to behaviour a onslaught against Iran, including nan anticipation of targeting nan country's atomic enrichment installation astatine Fordow, a cardinal atomic installation located southbound of Tehran.

But while Trump huddles pinch his advisers astatine nan White House, lawmakers person been convening connected nan different broadside of Pennsylvania Avenue for closed-door meetings of their own. 

Trump's remarks person done small to quell mounting fears of escalation successful nan Middle East— some from immoderate MAGA supporters, who rallied astir his promises of ending "forever wars," and Democrats, who fearfulness retaliation that an violative would bring.

Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., announced caller bipartisan authorities this week that would require Trump to get legislature support earlier signing disconnected connected immoderate meaningful engagement successful Iran, specified arsenic violative strikes connected its atomic facilities. 

The measure has attracted nan support of an overseas conjugation of bipartisan lawmakers, including Trump supporters who are opposed to U.S. engagement successful much overseas wars, and Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. 

Those lawmakers reason that Trump, successful acting unilaterally, would break opinionated U.S. laws— namely, limitations enumerated successful nan War Powers Resolution, aliases nan rule passed by Congress successful 1973 aimed astatine codifying nan instances successful which a president tin authorize nan usage of unit successful overseas conflicts without a general warfare declaration.

'INSTINCTS FOR RESTRAINT': SENATE DIVIDED OVER WHO GETS TO DECLARE WAR

President Donald Trump talks pinch reporters earlier a emblem rod is installed connected nan South Lawn of nan White House, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, successful Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

"The ongoing warfare betwixt Israel and Iran is not our war," Massie said successful announcing nan bill. "Even if it were, Congress must determine specified matters according to our Constitution."

But successful nan decades since nan rule was passed, presidents person expanded their powers present importantly absent legislature authorization, including nether some Democrat and Republican presidents. This has, to immoderate degree, been reflected by nan Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, which has taken a broader position of nan Article II powers granted to presidents erstwhile initiating nan usage of force— particularly erstwhile it is successful nan "national interest" to do so. 

These broader powers person been utilized by Republican presidents, and during some nan Obama and Biden administrations, officials told Fox News Digital. 

Michael Rubin, a elder chap astatine nan American Enterprise Institute, stressed this successful an question and reply pinch Fox News. 

"There's tons of precedents of presidents ignoring nan technicalities" of nan War Powers Regulation, he said successful an question and reply Thursday.

Ultimately, Rubin said, nan president "has nan expertise to enactment without it for a group play of time. And truthful [the law] really only applies if we're going to beryllium going into a awesome cognition alternatively than a one-time bombing."

"The truth of nan matter is, nan worst action for American information is allowing Iran to reconstitute its programme because of what it has buried successful Fordow," said Rubin, a erstwhile Pentagon charismatic whose activity astatine AEI focuses mostly connected issues successful nan Middle East.

Fears of escalation

In nan interim, however, Trump's threats person sparked concerns from immoderate critics, who spot his remarks arsenic some vulnerable and perchance rife for imaginable retaliation from Tehran. 

Critics person suggested they could besides endanger U.S. officials stationed overseas, including those wrong nan onslaught scope of Iran.

"It should beryllium nan liking of nan White House to usage U.S. leverage to extremity nan fighting," Brian Finucane, a elder advisor astatine nan International Crisis Group, told Fox News successful an interview. 

"The U.S. is assisting Israel pinch rocket defense correct now," he said. The business of defense "is to extremity nan fight," he said.

President Donald Trump arrives connected Air Force One astatine Calgary International Airport, Sunday, June 15, 2025, successful Calgary, Canada, up of nan G7 Summit.  (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

International law

There are besides fears that nan U.S. could beryllium acting successful usurpation of world law, including nan United Nations charter that "prohibits nan threat aliases usage of unit isolated from successful definite constricted circumstances, specified arsenic self-defense," according to a white paper published successful 2019 by Just Security. 

In this situation, critics opportunity nan U.S. has nary pretext to authorize a onslaught against Iran.

"I don't deliberation there's immoderate plausible self-defense statement for U.S. subject action against Iran," Brian Finucane, a elder advisor astatine nan International Crisis Group, told Fox News successful an interview. 

"So immoderate U.S. subject action against Iran would break nan UN Charter and frankincense breach nan president's work of nan Constitution to return attraction that nan laws are faithfully executed," he said.

Others connected nan Hill and beyond person taken a much supportive posture arsenic Trump weighs his adjacent steps.

Speaking successful an question and reply Thursday greeting connected "Fox & Friends," Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., praised Trump’s actions truthful acold successful nan region, saying Trump is "doing perfectly nan correct point to support America safe."

"He has been very accordant for 10 years saying Iran cannot beryllium allowed to person a atomic weapon," Barrasso said. "He said it strongly. He's publication it many times because he knows that Iran pinch a atomic limb is simply a threat to nan group of nan United States. We guidelines pinch nan group [of] Israel."

Sen. Lindsey Graham has been among Trump's astir vocal supporters, and said successful interviews earlier this week that he believes Trump has a desire to "finish nan job" successful destroying Fordow.

"I don’t deliberation Israel tin decorativeness Fordow without our help, and it’s successful our liking to make judge this programme is destroyed, arsenic overmuch arsenic it’s Israel’s," he said successful an interview. 

"And truthful if there’s thing you request to do to thief Israel, do it," he said.   

Rubin, nan AEI fellow, besides sought to differentiate Trump's actions from different presidents who person engaged successful lengthy overseas conflicts.

"The rumor pinch Iran is we're not entangling nan United States successful war," Rubin said. "We're taking an opportunity to extremity a situation erstwhile and for all. It seems to beryllium a one-shot deal."

Next steps

Still, it's unclear what Trump's extremity crippled will be, should he take to onslaught Iran. 

That's successful portion by design, said Finucane, nan advisor astatine nan International Crisis Group, who antecedently spent a decade successful nan Office of Legal Counsel for nan State Department.

 "The Constitution, very deliberately, gives nan powerfulness to state warfare to Congress," he said.

"And it does truthful to make going to warfare hard," he said. "It requires corporate decision-making, and anterior nationalist debate; deliberation [of] nan costs and benefits of nan astir consequential determination that nan U.S. authorities tin make, successful position of humor and treasure," he said.

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"Therefore, if nan U.S. wants to minimize nan consequence of getting dragged into an unnecessary warfare successful nan Middle East, and astatine slightest minimize risks to group successful nan region, including Americans successful nan region, past it should beryllium successful nan liking of nan White House to put a extremity to nan fighting— whether aliases not it wants to get involved,"