Trump’s Gaslighting on Iran

There is a clear and growing divide between what is said on Truth Social and the actual truth. Stretching the truth isn’t new for this White House, but jumping to unproven conclusions about Iran’s nuclear program represents a new level of danger.

After bombing three Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday, the president claimed the facilities were “completely and totally obliterated.” Defense Secretary Hegseth went even further, claiming that Iran’s nuclear program and ambitions were obliterated, not just the sites. On Sunday night, the president asserted on Truth Social that “obliteration is an accurate term!”

Obliteration of Iran’s nuclear program would be welcome news to those of us who recognize that it poses a grave threat to American interests and an existential threat to Israel. While most Democrats expressed legitimate concern with the president’s unwillingness to consult fully with Congress on the strikes, as he’s obligated to do, they also understand that the world will be better off if we can ensure Iran never has a nuclear weapon.

The problem with the White House’s fist-pumping after the strikes is that they started celebrating and claiming “mission accomplished” before the dust had even settled. They didn’t know then, and we still don’t fully know now, the strategic impact of the strikes despite their tactical success.

Democrats are right to ask the tough questions on Iran, which they have done for the past week and will continue to do, including at today’s House briefing and Senate vote on a war powers resolution. There was no consultation with Congress until after the fact, and there are reasons to seriously doubt that Iran’s nuclear program has been completely “obliterated.”

The primary reason for doubt is that we don’t know what happened to the enriched uranium that Iran may have moved before the strikes. Satellite images indicated 16 cargo trucks outside a tunnel at Fordow two days before the U.S. strikes, which very well could have moved significant quantities of its enriched uranium stockpile. According to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), “We don’t have information about the whereabouts of this material.”

Iran’s relocation of enriched uranium, along with the questionable status of its centrifuge infrastructure, means Iran may have the ability to develop a nuclear weapon at some point in the future. At a minimum, it means Iran’s nuclear program has not been fully eliminated despite repeated White House claims. We don’t actually know the status of Iran’s nuclear program at this point. And that uncertainty is a fact.

At best, the combination of Israeli and U.S. strikes has set Iran’s nuclear program back months, maybe years, depending on the extent of the damage at the three facilities and the amount of enriched uranium and remaining centrifuges that Iran may still possess. At worst, Iran could now feel it has no choice but to covertly race to a bomb out of desperation at a time of its choosing. Before the strikes took place, the IAEA’s last report indicated Iran may have enough uranium – if further enriched to weapons-grade – for up to ten bombs.

Members of Congress are right to ask whether the claims put forth by the White House are really facts or “alternative facts.” The Senate was finally briefed on Iran yesterday, though it remains unclear if they received comprehensive answers to the many questions that remain. At the House Iran briefing today, they should ask questions including: the extent of the damage to the nuclear facilities, the status of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and uranium stockpile, and whether the Trump administration will engage in negotiations to codify the ceasefire between Israel and Iran and seek a verifiable end to Iran’s nuclear program.

This is information we should expect the administration to provide to members of Congress, regardless of party. It’s also information the public should know, and the White House is now attacking the media for asking and reporting on these questions. Their attacks seem to suggest that anyone questioning the effectiveness and impact of the strikes is dishonoring the military or questioning the legitimacy of the president himself. To the contrary, it’s vital that members of Congress conduct this form of oversight when the U.S. military is involved. With matters of national security, the stakes are too high to play games with the truth.

While the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, announced by the president in a Truth Social post that read: “NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” has held for days, serious diplomacy is likely required to ensure it can be sustained. There’s also no substitute for diplomacy when it comes to ensuring an actual end to Iran’s nuclear program, which will require monitoring and verification. Unfortunately, this cannot come about solely via military operations or posts on Truth Social.

Democrats have not distanced themselves from Israel by asking questions about the strikes; they have raised – and continue to raise – important concerns, which Israel likely shares about the impact of the strikes. Until yesterday, members of Congress have been operating in a complete vacuum, with no more information than any of us can glean from the news. It’s their duty and right as elected officials to have more information, especially when it comes to U.S. military deployments.

At this point, members of Congress are seeking answers about the status of Iran’s nuclear program without the spin and obfuscation of this White House. They want and deserve the truth to accurately assess the status of the Iranian nuclear program to best understand where and how we go from here. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Shabbat Shalom,

Halie Soifer

CEO, Jewish Democratic Council of America