U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, on Sunday characterized the Trump administration’s strikes on Iran as illegal and reckless, warning that the president bypassed Congress in making a decision that could escalate into a wider war.
“This is a very dangerous situation that could cost American service members their lives, unfortunately, and could cost this country billions or trillions of dollars and also could lead to a larger and longer war in the Middle East and the region,” said Castro, who serves on the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees.
President Donald Trump announced Saturday night that U.S. Forces bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, joining a war Israel instigated two weeks ago. In his brief statement, Trump said more U.S. attacks would follow if “peace does not come quickly.”
Castro said he expects both the Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees to demand detailed information on the strikes and evidence that prompted the White House to use military force. The administration has kept members of both committees in the dark, the congressman added.
While intelligence shows Iran has been enriching uranium, there are many other steps needed to turn that material into a nuclear weapon, Castro said. He accused Trump of being sold a bill of goods by far-right Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who’s claimed for years that Iran on is on the brink of developing a nuclear weapon.
“There’s been no intelligence ahead of time showing an imminent threat,” Castro said.
While Trump said U.S. air strikes “completely and totally obliterated” the three targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, Castro said there’s no evidence available to corroborate those claims.
“Quite frankly, I don’t believe the administration is in a position to make a final and definitive determination on that until much later,” the congressman said.
Castro also cautioned that destabilizing Iran runs the risk of splintering the country into warring factions, replicating the chaos and rise in terrorist groups that followed U.S. involvement in Iraq. With a population of 90 million, Iran holds an even greater propensity to become a powder keg, he added.
“I predict that if Iran collapses in the same way, it will be even worse,” Castro said.
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This article appears in Jun 12-25, 2025.