House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling on the Trump administration to deescalate tensions between Washington and Tehran that have brought the two capitals to the brink of a military clash.
“We are in an extremely dangerous and sensitive situation with Iran. We must calibrate a response that de-escalates and advances American interests, and we must be clear as to what those interests are,” Ms. Pelosi, California Democrat, said in a statement Friday.
President Trump said on Twitter Friday morning that he stopped a planned U.S. retaliatory strike against Iran 10 minutes before it was to be launched Thursday night because the likely Iranian casualties were “not proportionate” to Tehran’s shooting down of an unmanned Navy drone.
“We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die,” Mr. Trump tweeted, adding that an unnamed U.S. general told him 150 people would likely be killed.
While some Republican leaders have called for a “measured response” after Iranian forces shot down the unmanned U.S. Navy surveillance drone earlier this week in what U.S. officials insist was international airspace and the reported attacks by Iran on two tankers in the Persian Gulf, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, California Democrat, told reporters Friday Mr. Trump was right to avoid an impulsive response.
“I don’t think people should be jumping down the president’s throat for wanting to think this through and make sure that neither side miscalculates and we don’t inadvertently end up in a war with Iran,” he said.
“This is an international response that protects freedom of navigation and that whatever we do does not escalate the situation and does not lead to miscalculation.”
Following a meeting with Mr. Trump and congressional leaders at the White House Thursday, Ms. Pelosi said the Democratic members “emphasized that hostilities must not be initiated without the approval of Congress.”
Democratic lawmakers for weeks have been warning the administration the White House does not have the authority to use military force against Iran without congressional authorization.
— Gabriella Muñoz and Jeff Mordock contributed to this story.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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