After a closed-door confidential briefing, a U.S. senator revealed: Trump's Iran war "has no plan."

Democratic senators in the United States publicly issued a warning after attending a confidential White House briefing: The Trump administration has neither a clear objective nor an exit strategy for the war against Iran, and the conflict could devolve into endless military consumption.

Senator Chris Murphy told the media on Tuesday after attending a two-hour confidential briefing that the contents confirmed his judgment—"the strategy is completely incoherent." He further disclosed on social media that the war aims neither include destroying Iran's nuclear weapons program nor promoting regime change; the main objectives are limited to striking missile, naval, and drone factories. He questioned: Once the bombing stops and Iran resumes production, the US answer seems to be "keep bombing"—"that is obviously endless war."

According to CCTV News, on March 11 local time, US Central Command commander Cooper stated in a video release that the US military has targeted over 5,500 sites inside Iran, including more than 60 ships and numerous ballistic missile and drone-related facilities. Cooper said the US military is focusing attacks on Iran's missile, drone, and defense industrial systems, with the goal of weakening Iran's ability to conduct military operations against the US and its allies.

As for the closely watched Strait of Hormuz, Murphy said they have no plan at all and currently cannot provide further details about how Iran might block the Strait of Hormuz, but it's clear they don't know how to safely reopen it.

These comments have kept the market highly alert to the risk of escalation and duration of the US-Iran conflict. Democratic lawmakers have also proposed using Congress's budget authority to restrict funding for the war, and called for a formal investigation into an airstrike on a girls' school that killed at least 170 people, further intensifying political pressure in Washington surrounding the conflict.

Briefing Content Causes Shock: War Goals Vague

Since the US and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on February 28, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have repeatedly provided confidential briefings to members of Congress. Due to confidentiality restrictions, only limited information has been publicly disclosed by lawmakers.

However, several Democratic senators said after the briefing that officials failed to provide clear answers regarding war goals, timelines, or overall strategy.

Senator Richard Blumenthal stated frankly: "It seems there is no plan at all for ending the war. The President says in almost the same breath that the war is 'almost over' and then that it's 'just beginning'—that's contradictory." He also warned that America seems to be heading toward sending ground troops into Iran.

Chris Murphy disclosed briefing details on social media: The war aims explicitly exclude destroying Iran's nuclear weapons program and promoting regime change, two options Trump had previously repeatedly listed as core objectives.

Republican Internal Rifts Emerge, But Overall Support Remains

Despite constant Democratic criticism, Republicans overall still support the military actions. Republicans currently occupy a majority in the Senate by a margin of 53 to 47, giving them strong control over the legislative agenda.

Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee for Republicans, publicly thanked Trump for launching the strikes, saying the President was acting within constitutional authority in response to the "imminent threat" posed by Iran.

But there have also been sporadic dissenting voices within the Republican ranks. Senator Rand Paul criticized the government's ever-changing rationale for the war: "We keep hearing new reasons for starting a war with Iran, none of which are convincing. War should be a last resort, not a first choice." Representative Nancy Mace explicitly opposed sending troops to Iran: "I don't want the sons and daughters of South Carolina to fight a war in Iran."

Additionally, Democratic lawmakers pressed the government on the humanitarian and financial costs of the war.

Senator Elizabeth Warren directly linked war spending to domestic policy priorities. "The only clear thing is: while 15 million Americans lose their health insurance and have no money, $1 billion a day is being spent bombing Iran," she said. Warren also stated Congress could use its budget authority to restrict funding for the war—"Congress can stop actions like this."

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