Witkoff to brief bipartisan senators on Iran war
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- Steve Witkoff is planning to brief a small bipartisan group of senators on the Iran war in a classified setting Tuesday afternoon, with invitations still going out late Monday.
- Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, organized the briefing, according to three people familiar with the matter.
- House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats demanded hearings with Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, citing the administration's "continued refusal to make them available to Congress for oversight."
- Senate Democrats have been pushing for public hearings to explain the administration's rationale for launching strikes against Iran, while senators of both parties want details on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and any back-channels with Iranian officials.
- Earlier this month, Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed House and Senate leaders under the War Powers Act after the U.S. attacks began.
- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected to hear Wednesday from two State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research officials — Armin Blome and Steve Galpern.
Why it matters: The classified briefing is a partial concession to senators demanding real-time intel on the Iran war, but House Democrats are escalating — demanding public hearings for Witkoff and Kushner over their diplomatic roles. Bipartisan pressure is mounting on the administration to explain its strategy as the oversight fight intensifies.
