Liccardo said while Iran is governed by what he described as a \u201cdictatorial, murderous regime,\u201d there is no organized or armed insurgency inside the country capable of toppling it. Regime change, he said, requires a sustained internal movement and, historically, years of engagement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe president has not explained his objectives in a way that is convincing to me, nor do I think they\u2019ll be convincing to the American people,\u201d Liccardo said. He added that achieving regime change would likely require ground forces \u2014 \u201cthe kind of engagement that the American public won\u2019t support.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liccardo also argued the president bypassed Congress in authorizing the strikes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a president who does not care about the spirit or text of the Constitution,\u201d he said. \u201cArticle One is very clear about congressional authority to declare war, and more importantly, for Congress to be consulted in a meaningful way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump said Saturday that the U.S.\u2011Israeli strikes on Iran killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the nation\u2019s supreme leader for nearly 37 years and a long\u2011time foe of both Israel and the United States \u2014 a development that could trigger a major political and regional shift, though Iran has not confirmed his death.<\/p>\n Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, a Vietnam combat veteran, said the strikes were not unexpected given the recent U.S. military buildup in the region, but he questioned the unilateral nature of the decision.<\/p>\n \u201cYou just don\u2019t move that type of military presence into an area because you think it would be fun,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cThis has been something that has been under consideration for some time.\u201d \u201cThis president has shown no respect for the rule of law or the Constitution,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cI think that the Congress of the United States needs to reassert itself. This is not something that should be done unilaterally.\u201d<\/p>\n He warned the escalation could draw the United States into another prolonged war, despite Trump\u2019s past promises to end so-called forever wars.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is looking a lot like another forever war, and it should concern us all,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cI don\u2019t think it is something that the American people want to do, and that is send their sons and daughters into combat.\u201d<\/p>\n Rep. John Garamendi, a Democrat whose district represents parts of Contra Costa and Solano counties, said he has long supported political change in Iran but does not believe military force will achieve it.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been advocating a regime change in Iran for a long time, but I\u2019ve never thought, and don\u2019t agree today, that a military is going to achieve that goal,\u201d Garamendi said. \u201cIt has to come from the people of Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n Garamendi said the United States is now \u201cinvolved in a war, and a very aggressive one,\u201d and warned that American casualties are likely as Iran strikes back at U.S. targets in the region.<\/p>\n The military action unfolded as Washington remained in a partial government shutdown after lawmakers failed to reach agreement on funding for several federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security. The standoff has underscored tensions between the White House and Congress even as lawmakers face mounting pressure to address the expanding conflict overseas.<\/p>\n KQED\u2019s Rachael Vasquez<\/a>, Juan Carlos Lara<\/a> and Mar\u00eda Fernanda Bernal<\/a> contributed to this story<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.kqed.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2263454468-1-scaled.jpg\")
Still, Thompson said Congress must reassert its role.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.kqed.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2263420676-1-scaled.jpg\")