Top Questions the Trump Administration Needs to Answer on War with Iran

The following questions concern the Trump administration’s decision to go to war with Iran, codenamed Operation Epic Fury, what has unfolded since, and what may follow. Congress and journalists should demand answers to these questions, many of which should have been answered prior to the war beginning. Career executive branch officials may want answers about several of these questions as well.

The Road and Resort to War

1. According to U.S. intelligence, what specific threat did Iran pose to the United States on Feb. 27? Was there an imminent threat of armed attack? Specifically, did Iran pose an imminent threat to strike the United States first before Israel or the United States attacked Iran? 
2. Did senior administration officials tell reporters on Feb. 28 that the United States struck Iran after determining Tehran was planning imminent missile attacks against U.S. bases in the region? As has been reported, the administration acknowledged “on Sunday that there was no intelligence suggesting Iran planned to attack U.S. forces first” – is that acknowledgement accurate? What explains the changes over time in administration officials’ representations to Congress? 
3. From the State of the Union to as late as Monday, President Trump has said Iran would “soon” be able to hit targets inside the United States with ballistic missiles? Is that false? How exactly do you define “soon”? 
4. Does the U.S. Intelligence Community assess, and with what level of confidence, that Iran would soon have had ballistic missiles capable of striking the United States? If so, on what timeframe? 
5. Separately, does the U.S. Intelligence Community assess there was a credible threat of use of such missiles against the United States except in self-defense against attack? If not, does the administration assert, contrary to international law, that possessing a weapons capability is sufficient grounds for invoking self-defense? On what basis? Against whom would this apply? For possessing what weapons capabilities? 
6. Before launching the strikes, what did the U.S. Intelligence Community assess could be the number of American service members killed in the duration of the operation, and with what level of confidence was that assessment made? 
7. Before Feb. 28, what did the U.S. Intelligence Community assess could be the consequences inside the United States from potential Iran-linked sleeper cells or similar groups as a result of launching these strikes against Iran? As a result of killing Khamenei? What was the level of confidence in those assessments? What about the consequences in Europe? 
8. Before launching the strikes, what did the U.S. Intelligence Community assess could be the consequences in the region in terms of fatalities, damage to U.S. interests, and anti-U.S. sentiment over the duration of the conflict, and with what level of confidence were those assessments made? 
9. Before launching the strikes, what did the U.S. Intelligence Community assess could be the potential effects on the U.S. economy (including gas prices) over the medium term, and with what level of confidence was that assessment made? 
10. Before launching the strikes, what did the U.S. Intelligence Community assess could be the likely duration of the conflict, and with what level of confidence was that assessment made? 
11. When did President Trump decide ongoing negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program were futile? When did he decide to order military strikes? 
12. Were the Iranians still engaging in negotiations with the United States when President Trump decided to strike? Was the United States negotiating in good faith if a determination had already been made to launch military strikes?
    
13. Did the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) approve the legality of the operation under international law? Under domestic law without congressional authorization? If so, when did the OLC provide that approval in verbal form? In written form? If there is a written memorandum, when will it be publicly released (with any necessary redactions for classification)?
    
14. Have any administration lawyers or uniformed lawyers raised concerns about the legality of the operations under domestic law? International law?
    
15. Have U.S. allies raised concerns about the legality of the operations before Feb. 28 or in the past few days?
    
16. When did President Trump ask allied and partner States to join in the effort?
    
17. Does the administration disavow prior DOJ OLC opinions that stated its own “war in the constitutional sense” threshold for operations requiring congressional authorization is most likely to be met when the contemplated actions are against a nation-state, involve a serious risk of escalation, risk of casualties to U.S. forces, or involve “exposure of U.S. military personnel to significant risk over a substantial period”?
    
18. If so, are there any limits on the President’s unilateral authority to use military force without congressional authorization? What are they specifically?
    
19. If the OLC opinions are not disavowed, how do you define risk of escalation? Risk to U.S. forces? How long must a conflict go on to be “protracted”?
    
20. What, precisely, is a “war in the constitutional sense” if this war does not qualify as one?
    
21. The White House’s War Powers Report to Congress never says an attack from Iran was imminent. Indeed, the word “imminent” does not appear anywhere in the report. Why not?
    
22. The War Powers Report does not mention self-defense as a legal basis for the war except for a reference to the strikes being taken “in collective self-defense of our regional allies, including Israel.” Is it the administration’s intent to justify the war as collective self-defense of Israel, rather than self-defense on the part of the United States? What “other” regional allies was this referring to?
    
23. Will the administration be submitting an Art. 51 letter to the UN Security Council (UNSC) as it is required to do when using force without UNSC authorization? If so, what legal basis will it claim for an invocation of self-defense?
    
24. Does the administration wish to change or clarify any of the statements or representations made by U.S. officials to the Gang of Eight before the war was commenced?
    
    

    Strategic Objectives and Goals of Operation Epic Fury
    

25. What are the objectives of Operation Epic Fury? Have the objectives for this war changed since Feb. 28?
    
26. What is the president’s definition of “victory” in Iran?
    
27. Would it be a victory if a new hardline leadership emerges and continues to suppress the rights of the Iranian people? If it continues its hostility toward the United States? If it is controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)?
    
28. Has the U.S. Intelligence Community assessed that a takeover by the IRGC or other hardline, repressive elements is a plausible outcome of the war? How much more or less likely is that assessed to be than other possible outcomes?
    
29. According to the New York Times, an Israeli strike targeted Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei based on intelligence provided by the CIA. Did the United States give approval for that strike? Trump told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, “I got him before he got me.” Did the United States provide the intelligence, logistical, or other support for that strike knowing that Israel was planning to kill Khamenei?
    
30. President Trump told ABC News that the people the U.S. government thought would replace Khamenei were also killed in early strikes. Which leader(s) did the United States expect or hope would replace Khamenei?
    
31. President Trump said Operation Epic Fury was intended to change the regime in Iran. Secretary of Defense Hegseth said the war is not a regime change war. Is regime change an objective for U.S. operations?
    
32. If there is no regime change, how will the United States define victory?
    
33. On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote, “On Saturday, President Trump released a statement laying out clear objectives to the American people for Operation Epic Fury. Let me reiterate them.” She proceeded to provide a long list of objectives that only involved Iran’s external military threats? Was any reference to the wellbeing of the Iranian people purposefully omitted from that list?
    
34. On March 2, Secretary Hegseth said, “This operation is a clear, devastating, decisive mission: destroy the missile threat, destroy the navy, no nukes. Israel has clear missions as well for which we are grateful.” Does Israel have separate objectives for this war than the United States? If so, what are they? If the objectives are different, what does that mean for U.S. involvement?
    
35. Is Venezuela a model for what the administration would like to see happen next in Iran, as the president has suggested repeatedly? In what way(s) specifically?
    
36. What do you expect will come next – a so-called “managed transition” like what happened in Venezuela or a more complete regime change? What would satisfy the administration’s objectives?
    
37. President Trump, in his Feb. 28 address, told Iranian forces to surrender. Who are they supposed to surrender to? How?
    
38. How, if at all, does the administration plan to support the people of Iran without any U.S. personnel on the ground? Trump has not ruled out U.S. boots on the ground – what strategic objectives would be worth committing U.S. troops to active combat missions inside Iran?
    
39. Have any U.S. military forces been deployed inside Iran prior to Feb. 28? Since Feb. 28?
    
40. Will the United States share responsibility if the people of Iran rise up in the coming days and are massacred?
    
41. What mechanism does the administration envision the Iranian people have to organize themselves or to overthrow the government? How does the ongoing bombardment impact their ability to organize?
    
42. Before Feb. 28, what did the U.S. Intelligence Community assess are possible outcomes  for the Iranian people following destroying/degrading any nuclear weapons program and ballistic missile capacities, but with the regime left in place? With what level of confidence were those assessments made?
    
43. Before Feb. 28, did the U.S. Intelligence Community assess any possible refugee crisis resulting from these operations against Iran? With what level of confidence were those assessments made?
    
44. What are the current U.S. Intelligence Community assessments of the possible fates for the Iranian people, and with what level of confidence for each outcome?
    
45. Are there any contingencies for extended U.S. boots on the ground (omitting for example quick duration rescue missions if a pilot is downed)?
    
46. In his first remarks, President Trump encouraged the Iranian people to rise up against their government. At the time had the United States and/or Israel shut down large amounts of the country’s internet? How many Iranian people does the U.S. government assess heard President Trump’s message and in Farsi?
    
47. Do you agree with Secretary Hegseth’s statement that “We didn’t start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it. Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their Ayatollah and his death cult”? If you would not express those ideas the same way, why not? Is anything wrong with his statement? Is the United States war one of “retribution”? Is that a legitimate basis for going to war? When did Iran start this war?
    
48. The United States has called for the departure of U.S. nationals from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Does this mean there are credible threats against U.S. citizens throughout the region? What is the U.S. Intelligence Community assessment of potential threats by Iran or its proxies?
    
49. Has there ever been a recommended departure from this many countries? Many airports in these countries are already closed. How are Americans supposed to depart?
    
50. What planning did the administration do prior to launching the war to keep Americans in the region safe, specifically, given these consequences were foreseeable?
    
51. There have been global anti-U.S. protests since the war was launched. Does the administration believe there will be medium or long-term negative consequences for the United States based on the reactions in the region thus far?
    
    

    Targeting and the Law of Armed Conflict

52. Secretary Hegseth said, “There are no stupid rules of engagement.” What does that mean? Is the U.S. military deviating from its standard rules of engagement for these operations? If so, in what specific way(s)?
    
53. Since Jan. 20, 2025, has the U.S. military changed its policies or interpretations of international law concerning targeting operations and civilian harm? How so, specifically? Please identify all the ways in which that may affect Operation Epic Fury.
    
54. Were civilian leaders of Iran, or any other civilians, targeted by the United States or with U.S. assistance? Who, specifically, has been targeted with lethal force in Iran’s leadership?
    
55. Was former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad targeted by the United States or with U.S. assistance? If so, how does that comply with the law of war, including federal criminal law, that prohibits deliberately targeting civilians?
    
56. A number of other former government officials/senior leaders outside of the chain of command may have been targeted and killed in the first few days of strikes. Can you provide a full list of which Iranian officials have been targeted, and who is confirmed to have been killed?
    
57. Is the United States or Israel intentionally engaged in a campaign of targeting potential future leaders of the Iranian State?
    
58. Do these strikes on officials (current, former, and potentially future) mean the United States believes civilians are targetable? If not, on what basis has the United States determined that the individuals targeted were either active in the chain of command or directly participating in hostilities?
    
59. Did the U.S. military or the Israel Defense Forces strike the girls elementary school in southern Iran on Saturday, where 175 people were killed, including children? What was the intended objective of that strike? What proportionality, verification, due diligence, and precautionary measures were taken?
    
60. If the United States is responsible for that strike, will there be an investigation? By whom?
    
61. Has Israel engaged in any actions during the course of these operations that you disagree with? That the administration disagrees with?
    
    

    Costs, Military Readiness and Related Concerns
    

62. The United States began its military buildup in the Middle East at the beginning of January. What was the cost of the U.S. deployment prior to commencement of hostilities? What are the cost trade offs in readiness in other regions like INDOPACOM?
    
63. What is the estimated cost of Operation Epic Fury per day thus far?
    
64. How much will Operation Epic Fury cost per week at a similar operations tempo as we’ve seen in the first three days?
    
65. How much would Operation Epic Fury cost if it went on for 4-5 weeks, as President Trump said may be the case?
    
66. What is the estimated cost of the three F-15 fighter jets lost in friendly fire incidents in Kuwait? How long will it take to replace them? What type of air defense system hit the U.S. F-15s in Kuwait? How did that “friendly fire” incident unfold?
    
67. What amount of the total costs of Operation Epic Fury was unbudgeted? How does the Pentagon plan to pay for these unplanned costs? Will the funds come from reductions elsewhere in the defense budget or will the administration be asking Congress to appropriate additional funding for this war? How much?
    
68. Will the U.S. military need to make any reductions to the resources or support it is supplying Ukraine as it shifts its focus to the Middle East?
    
69. Is there a concern about “dwindling” U.S. stockpiles of air defense interceptors? Of any other munitions or materiel? What assurances can you provide that the United States would have enough interceptors for a week-long engagement?
    
70. What would be an acceptable death toll of U.S. servicemembers over the duration of this conflict? Of civilians in Iran? In the region?

FEATURED IMAGE: US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine speaks to the press as Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) looks on following US military actions in Venezuela, at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 3, 2026. President Trump said Saturday that US forces had captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a “large scale strike” on the South American country. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images)