Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., pauses for a reporters as he heads to the chamber for the final votes of the week, as President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy bill lingers in the Senate, awaiting consensus from divided Republicans, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
After classified briefings with top White House officials on the recent strikes in Iran, House Speaker Mike Johnson said it was clear “a major setback” had been struck to Iran’s nuclear program and called for direct diplomacy to follow.
“We now need Iran to engage with us in direct, good-faith talks, negotiations,” said Johnson. “They need to sit down at the table with us and ensure that peace is truly lasting.”
Lawmakers remained divided on the effectiveness of the strikes. The briefings, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left some unconvinced the operation had achieved its goals.
California Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat, said it’s unclear “how far they’ve actually set back” Iran’s program. Khanna and others criticized Trump for not consulting Congress beforehand.
“I have not been happy for a long time that I’ve learned about this strike sitting on my sofa with a cold beer looking at Twitter. That’s not the way this is supposed to work,” said Rep. Jim Himes, the Democrats’ top member on the House intelligence committee.
