Emily Anderson SternMost members of Utah’s federal delegation have so far remained silent on President Donald Trump’s authority to continue military operations in Iran, as other congressional officials on both sides of the political aisle are pushing their colleagues to vote on resolutions to assert lawmakers’ war powers.
On the fourth day of the country’s latest war in the Middle East, Utah’s all-Republican congressional delegation has primarily expressed support for the White House’s actions to topple Iran’s government — although comments from its senior member, Sen. Mike Lee, have been vague as to his position.
Only one of the six delegates’ offices responded to questions sent Tuesday morning about the bounds of Trump’s authority in the war, although a spokesperson for Rep. Celeste Maloy said they were working to provide answers.
“President Trump fulfilled the requirements under the War Powers Resolution by providing notice to Congress before the attacks, and the White House plans to brief members throughout the operation,” Rep. Blake Moore told The Salt Lake Tribune in a statement.
“I do not plan to vote for the War Powers Resolution this week,” Moore continued. “This is the same position I took during the Biden administration. It would be irresponsible to tie the hands of the Commander in Chief and our military leaders as they work to defend American lives and protect our national interests.”
In separate statements this week, the delegation has said they are praying for U.S. troops now in combat.
Trump announced shortly after midnight Saturday that the U.S. military began “major combat operations with Iran.” In the days since, questions have emerged about whether continued operations without congressional approval exceed his authority.
Only Congress has the power to declare war under the Constitution. It isn’t new, however, for a president to conduct military operations without congressional approval — past examples include the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the 1989 invasion of Panama, the 2011 intervention in Libya and Trump’s recent actions to capture Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” the commander in chief said Saturday in a recorded video statement.
U.S. military officials say air strikes have destroyed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership facilities, Iranian air defense systems and drone and missile launch locations.
(Arash Khamooshi | The New York Times) People gather to mourn the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a vigil in Tehran, Iran, on Sunday, March 1, 2026, a day after he was killed in coordinated U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.
IRNA, Iran’s state-run media agency, announced Saturday that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s longtime supreme leader, was “martyred in [an] Israeli-American attack.” Nearly 800 Iranians have reportedly been killed in the strikes, according to the Iranian Red Crescent on Tuesday.
In ongoing counterattacks, Iran has targeted U.S. military bases in the region, which, according to the Pentagon, have so far resulted in the death of six service members. Trump has said the war could go on for five weeks or more.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, are expected to bring a bipartisan resolution for a vote this week that would require the president to receive congressional approval before further engaging Iran.
In the House, Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie is leading the charge alongside Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, to force a vote on a war powers resolution.
The senior member of Utah’s congressional delegation, Sen. Mike Lee, has historically been an ally of Paul’s, and it’s unclear what side he might take on a resolution. After learning of the administration’s January operation in Venezuela, Lee initially questioned its legality, writing on X, “I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force.”
Lee’s remarks on the war with Iran have so far mostly come on X — and have primarily been accompanied by memes. Saturday afternoon, he posted a doctored image of Secretary of State Marco Rubio with the text, “Marco will serve as interim Shah until … .” Lee wrote, “Too soon?”
Nearly four hours later, the senator shared Trump’s video statement. adding, “Praying for peace and the safety of U.S. military personnel.”
Utah U.S. Sen. John Curtis endorsed Trump’s actions in a statement Saturday, writing, “For decades, Iran’s regime has acted as a destabilizing force — arming terrorist proxies, mass slaughtering its own people, and pursuing nuclear capabilities with explicit intent to destroy Israel and America.
“Peace is preserved through strength and resolve. Our Commander-in-Chief is taking planned, targeted action to protect the American people, stand with our allies, and promote stability in an increasingly dangerous world. I look forward to robust engagement between the Administration and Congress as this situation unfolds,” he added in the social media post. “May God bless and protect our troops.”
The highest ranking of Utah’s congressional representatives, Moore, shared similar sentiments in a statement on his website, saying, “While this is a developing situation, I hope this will allow the Trump administration to unlock solutions to … long-standing problem sets for U.S. national security.”
Moore, a member of House leadership, added, “I’m saddened at the loss of the service members who were killed, and my prayers are with their families and other military members who were injured. We have many service members currently in harm’s way, and I hope and pray for their safety.”
The newest member of the delegation also backed operations so far. Rep. Mike Kennedy posted Tuesday, “Iran’s regime has been rogue for decades. They have consistently chosen a path of escalating violence against the United States and our allies. President Trump provided a window for diplomacy, yet the Iranian regime chose to respond to those efforts by intensifying its militant proxy aggression and accelerating its nuclear capabilities. … I will remain engaged and expect continued briefings as next steps unfold.”
Rep. Burgess Owens expressed the most enthusiastic support for the attacks, saying, “The Iranian government’s hatred of America, her values, and her allies along with their goal of obtaining a nuclear weapon brought them to this point. A nuclear armed Iran was never going to be allowed and President Trump has ensured they never will be.”
Like Lee, where Maloy stands on Trump’s yet-to-be-approved operations remains unclear. Her only public comment on the matter, as of Tuesday morning, was a post on X directing “anyone in the Middle East seeking support or guidance” to resources on her website.
This story is developing and may be updated.
Emily is a statewatch reporter at The Salt Lake Tribune, where she has worked since 2022. She received her master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. There, she worked on investigative projects for The Washington Post and ProPublica. While writing, she's probably spinning something from her ever-expanding shelf of punk records.