Following joint **U.S.** and **Israel** military operations against **Iran**, **Secretary of State Marco Rubio** declared that “the old world” is gone and urged American allies to adapt to a “new era of geopolitics.” Speaking to reporters on Saturday, **Rubio** emphasized the necessity for **Washington** and its allies to re-evaluate their roles and forge a new path forward, confirming ongoing private conversations with international partners regarding these rapid global shifts.
**White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt** confirmed that **Rubio** had provided prior congressional notification to senior leaders, specifically briefing seven of the eight members of the **“Gang of Eight.”** This announcement came amidst criticisms regarding whether **President Donald Trump** authorized the strikes without the required full congressional approval. **President Trump** reportedly monitored the situation overnight from **Mar-a-Lago** with his national security team and spoke with **Prime Minister Netanyahu**. The **“Gang of Eight”** includes leaders and intelligence committee chairs from both chambers of Congress, with **House Speaker Mike Johnson** confirming the group had been briefed earlier in the week.
The strikes intensified the ongoing debate over presidential war powers. Under the **1947 National Security Act**, Congress must be kept “fully informed” of significant intelligence activities. However, presidents from both parties have interpreted this to mean notifying the **“Gang of Eight,”** rather than the full intelligence committees. Critics like **Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.)** openly questioned the legality, stating the actions were “unauthorized by Congress.” **Massie** and **Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.)** had planned to introduce a vote aimed at restricting **Trump’s** ability to launch strikes on **Iran** without formal congressional authorization.
Separately, **Rubio** announced **Iran’s** designation as a state sponsor of wrongful detention, citing a decades-long history of hostage-taking by the Iranian regime, dating back to **Ayatollah Khomeini’s** consolidation of power 47 years ago. He highlighted **Iran’s** use of detained Americans and other foreign nationals as political leverage. **Rubio** noted that **President Trump** signed an executive order last fall to protect U.S. nationals from wrongful detention abroad, followed by the enactment of the **Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025** by Congress. **Rubio** urged **Iran** to release all unjustly detained Americans to end this designation and associated actions.
