White House to brief Congress on Iran next week

President Donald Trump's administration will offer a classified briefing to all members of Congress next week to explain why it believes threats from Iran are rising, lawmakers said.

Administration officials yesterday provided a classified briefing to the bipartisan leadership of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as congressional intelligence committee leaders. The briefing, coming 10 days after the White House ordered a major naval deployment to the region, was the first time administration officials have laid out their reasons for issuing undefined warnings of what they describe as increased threats from Tehran to oil shipping and infrastructure in the Middle East, and more broadly, to US interests.

But the administration only provided the briefing after members of Congress from both parties complained about being left in the dark, despite the potential for another major military conflict in the Middle East.

The administration will offer a classified briefing open to all House members next week, House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) said. The administration will also brief members of the Senate.

"I hope Trump's advisers recognize they have no authorization to go forward in any way," Pelosi said. "They cannot call on the authorization for the use of military force that was passed in 2001."

Successive US administration relied on the congressional authorization from 2001, originally intended to combat Islamist group Al-Qaeda, as the legal basis for operations in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East.

"I think any action this administration takes will be thoughtful, will look through and will be in consultation with the House and the Senate," House Republican minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California) said.

The briefing may be an indication that the administration is not planning to take any immediate action. White House national security adviser John Bolton and secretary of state Mike Pompeo have threatened to use force in retaliation for what they claim have been repeated provocations by Iran.

Trump, when asked yesterday while hosting Swiss president Ueli Maurer at the White House whether he was planning to go to war with Iran, said: "I hope not."

Switzerland is the protective power representing US interests in Iran and hosts channels for unofficial diplomatic exchanges between the two countries. Maurer, following his meeting with Trump, declined to comment on the Swiss mediation efforts, but said reports of a war with Iran are "probably fake news."

Switzerland has represented US interests in Iran since 1980. "Perhaps the situation is a little bit crazy now," Maurer said. "But it has been 40 years. Maybe we can find a solution in 40 years."

The US has also turned to Switzerland to represent its interests in Venezuela, following the departure of US diplomats in March. But President Nicolas Maduro's government has not yet agreed to the arrangement, Maurer said.

Washington recognizes National Assembly speaker Juan Guaido as the country's interim leader and has granted diplomatic status to his representatives, with control over the country's diplomatic missions. The Maduro government has protested the arrangement, but has not taken steps to take over the now-closed US embassy in Caracas.