Donald Trump, the US president, has made persistent claims about his 2020 election loss, this time saying Iran had interfered in the poll. andel Ngan/AFP/Getty ImagesDonald Trump, the US president, has made persistent claims about his 2020 election loss, this time saying Iran had interfered in the poll. andel Ngan/AFP/Getty ImagesExplainerTrump news at a glance: Congress divided on Iran attack as Trump appears to link operation to 2020 election lossUS president says he is willing to speak to Iran’s remaining leadership as war spreads across Middle East – key US politics stories from 1 March 2026Republican senators have defended Donald Trump’s decision to launch a war against Iran, but some Democrats, while welcoming the elimination of the Iranian senior leadership, said the case for the attack should have been made to the American public and Congress. Three US service members have been killed so far in the military operation, and Trump appeared to link the ordering of the attack to his 2020 election loss. The US president also said he was willing to speak to the remaining members of Iran’s regime after the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, was confirmed by the US on Saturday afternoon. Trump allies defend Iran strikes as Democrats call it a ‘war of choice’Allies of the Trump administration reinforced on Sunday its messaging on the Israel-US strikes on Iran, while Democrats decried it as a “war of choice” that required congressional approval.
