Scoop: Witkoff to brief bipartisan group of senators Tuesday on Iran
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U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is planning to brief a small bipartisan group of senators on the war in Iran in a classified setting Tuesday afternoon, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: Senators are hungry for real-time information on President Trump's next moves in Iran, the prospects for a diplomatic solution and thoptions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
- There is also heightened interest in details about any lines of communication between the Trump administration and Iranian officials.
What we're hearing: The briefing was organized by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.
- Senators were still being invited as of late Monday.
Zoom in: Earlier today, House Democrats called for hearings with Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, over Witkoff's and Kushner's diplomatic roles in Iran.
- "We write as Democratic members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee regarding the administration's decision to appoint Mr. Steve Witkoff and Mr. Jared Kushner to lead diplomatic engagement with Iran, and the administration's continued refusal to make them available to Congress for oversight," the lawmakers wrote to Trump.
Zoom out: Senate Democrats have been calling for public hearings with Trump administration officials to explain their rationale for the war and why the president chose to launch strikes when he did.
- Earlier this month, after the U.S. attacks began, Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed House and Senate leaders in accordance with the War Powers Act.
- On Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected to hear from from two officials from the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Armin Blome and Steve Galpern.
Go deeper: Trump struggles to build coalition to reopen Strait of Hormuz
