House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the U.S. strike that killed the commander of Iran’s Quds Force “risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is calling on the Trump administration to immediately brief lawmakers on the U.S. airstrike that killed a top Iranian commander in Iraq and what the White House plans to do next.
The strike in Iraq was directed by President Donald Trump and killed Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s secretive Quds Force, the Department of Defense announced Thursday night.
The move, which is likely to provoke retaliation from Iran, comes amid heightened tensions between the Trump administration and Tehran over rocket attacks aimed at coalition forces in Iraq. U.S. officials have said those attacks were likely carried out by Iranian-backed militias with links to the Quds Force.
“Tonight’s airstrike risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence. America — and the world — cannot afford to have tensions escalate to the point of no return,” Pelosi said in a statement late Thursday.
The strike was carried out without an “authorization for use of military force” against Iran and without the consultation of Congress, the speaker said.
“The full Congress must be immediately briefed on this serious situation and on the next steps under consideration by the Administration, including the significant escalation of the deployment of additional troops to the region,” Pelosi said
