Trump Threatens ‘Obliteration’ of Iran, Says He Doesn’t Need Congressional Approval to Strike

UPDATE - June 25, 2019:

• President Donald Trump threatened Iran with "obliteration" on Tuesday, vowing "any attack" on "anything American will be met with great and overwhelming force."
• Earlier Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the White House is "suffering from mental disability" and behaving as "no sane person" in imposing sanctions on the country.
• On Monday night, Trump told Hill.TV that he doesn't need congressional approval to strike Iran. Asked if he has the authority to initiate military action against Iran without congressional approval, Trump responded: "I do."

"But we’ve been keeping Congress abreast of what we’re doing ... and I think it’s something they appreciate. I do like keeping them abreast, but I don’t have to do it legally."

• Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Tom Udall (D-NM) have introduced an amendment to a defense spending bill that would block Trump from using government funds to strike Tehran without first going to Congress.
• It is debated whether taking military action against Iran falls within the president's executive power and/or the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF).

Countable's earlier updates appear below.

UPDATE - June 24, 2019:

• President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday imposing new "hard hitting" sanctions on Tehran, denying Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his office, "and many others" access to financial instruments.

"Today's actions follow a series of aggressive behaviors by the Iranian regime in recent weeks, including shooting down of US drones," Trump said. "The supreme leader of Iran is one who ultimately is responsible of the hostile conduct of the regime. He's respected within his country. His office oversees the regime's most brutal instruments including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps."

• Iran has continued to dispute U.S. reports that the unmanned drone was flying in international airspace when it was shot down.

“The enemy dispatched its most sophisticated...and most complicated surveillance aircraft” to spy on Iran, and “everyone saw the downing of the drone,” Iranian Rear Adm. Hossein Khanzadi said Monday.

Countable's earlier updates appear below.

UPDATE - June 23, 2019:

• President Trump plans to impose major new sanctions on Iran starting Monday as part of the U.S. effort to keep political and economic pressure on the country.
• "Iran cannot have Nuclear Weapons!" Trump tweeted. "Under the terrible Obama plan, they would have been on their way to Nuclear in a short number of years, and existing verification is not acceptable. We are putting major additional Sanctions on Iran on Monday."
• Trump told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that he's "not looking for war” with Iran, but warned of "obliteration like you've never seen before” if the country resumes building nuclear weapons.

Countable's earlier updates appear below.

UPDATE - June 21, 2019, 1PM ET:

• President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday earlier reports that he last-minute called off a retaliatory attack on Iran for downing a U.S. drone.
• In a series of tweets, Trump said he aborted the attack "10 minutes before the strike,” saying the number of expected casualties was not "proportionate" to what Tehran did.
• “We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights,” Trump tweeted.

"... I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it, not ... proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone. I am in no hurry, our Military is rebuilt, new, and ready to go, by far the best in the world," Trump said. "Sanctions are biting & more added last night. Iran can NEVER have Nuclear Weapons, not against the USA, and not against the WORLD!"

Countable's earlier story appears below.

What's the story?

• President Donald Trump is warning Iran that it "made a big mistake" shooting down a U.S. drone over the Strait of Hormuz.
• Following a briefing at the White House Thursday afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told reporters that the drone "was fired on from Iranian soil. It was in international waters." He said the administration is considering “measured responses.”
• Both Washington and Tehran agree that Iranian forces shot down the drone, but the two countries disagree over where it was flying.
• Iran has said the unmanned drone was flying in the country's territory—a “blatant violation of international law." It called on the international community to demand the U.S. cease "its continued unlawful and destabilizing measure in the already volatile region of the Persian Gulf.”

What do you think?

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—Josh Herman

(Photo Credit: iStock / aapsky)