Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to launch what he calls “major combat operations” against Iran, calling the conflict illegal, strategically reckless, and destined to fail without congressional authorization.
During a Sunday interview on CBS New’s Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, Murphy pulled no punches on Trump, sternly berating the president for dragging the United States into an armed conflict with Iran. “This president is intentionally tanking our economy,” Murphy stated. “He’s the most corrupt president in the history of our nation. And Americans want him to focus on the crises here at home. Instead, he is busy getting us involved in quagmires overseas that already are becoming deadly to American soldiers.”
Murphy said Congress must return to Washington immediately to vote on a War Powers Resolution, even acknowledging that such measures have historically struggled to overcome presidential vetoes. The point, he argued, is constitutional accountability. “The president is obligated under the Constitution to come to Congress and ask for an authorization of military force,” Murphy said, adding that he believes Congress would reject such a request.
Murphy rejected the administration’s characterization of the strikes as limited operations, arguing that sustained military action with the stated aim of regime change meets any reasonable definition of war. He pointed out that American service members have already been killed and warned that the conflict risks expanding into a broader regional crisis.
Murphy Says ‘Positive Regime Change’ In Iran Not Likely
He also cast doubt on the strategic objectives laid out by the White House. According to Murphy, intelligence assessments suggest that hard-line elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will take over Iran’s leadership and emerge even stronger if the current government falls. “We’re not going to get a democracy,” Murphy warned. “We’re going to get an even worse Iranian leadership.”
Additionally, Murphy pointed out that an air campaign alone has no historical precedent for producing a “positive regime change” in an authoritarian state, particularly absent a ground invasion—an option the administration has ruled out.
Murphy further contended that Trump bears responsibility for the current escalation, pointing to the withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as the turning point that dismantled constraints on Iran’s nuclear program. He argued that abandoning the agreement, against the advice of advisers, set the stage for renewed confrontation.
Beyond strategy, Murphy raised concerns about the immediate fallout. The State Department has issued a worldwide caution alert, and U.S. embassies in the region have limited their operations. He urged Americans abroad to contact their members of Congress if they need assistance, while criticizing what he described as the administration’s lack of preparation for regional instability, including spillover violence and potential cyber threats.
At its core, Murphy framed the conflict as a “war of choice”—one that risks American lives without a clear path to either regime change or nuclear disarmament. The likely outcome, he warned, is a cycle of bombing, retaliation, and renewed escalation that leaves the region more unstable and the U.S. no safer than before.
