For forty-seven years that monster had American blood on his hands.
Now he's dead – and so are four of our soldiers.
Trump delivered on the first part. The question nobody in Washington wants to answer is whether he had the authority to risk the second.
Operation Epic Fury Killed Khamenei — and Triggered the Biggest Constitutional Fight in Years
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was one of the most evil men on earth.
He funded the militias that blew up Marines in Beirut. He armed the IEDs that killed American soldiers in Iraq. He built the proxy network that has harassed, attacked, and murdered Americans for nearly five decades. When General Petraeus called the intelligence work behind Operation Epic Fury "extraordinary" – targeting Iran's entire leadership while they were gathered in one room – he wasn't wrong.
The military achievement here is genuine. Hundreds of targets struck. Nine Iranian ships sunk. The entire Iranian military command, gone.
Then the retaliatory missiles started flying.
Iran struck U.S. bases in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The Houthis resumed Red Sea attacks. Hezbollah fired into Israel. A Saudi Aramco refinery processing half a million barrels a day went offline after Iranian drones hit it. Four American soldiers – an Army sustainment unit stationed in Kuwait – are coming home in flag-draped coffins.
Trump said more deaths are "likely." The operation could take "four weeks or less."
But wars have a way of ignoring presidential timelines.
Rand Paul and Thomas Massie Opposed the Iran War Before It Started — Here Is Why They Were Right
Thomas Massie and Rand Paul were warning anyone who would listen.
Before a single Tomahawk launched, Massie had co-authored a War Powers Resolution with Rep. Ro Khanna demanding a congressional vote before any strike on Iran. Paul co-sponsored a companion measure in the Senate with Sen. Tim Kaine. They were right on the constitutional question before the shooting started – and they paid for it immediately.
Massie posted five words on X that deserve an honest answer from every conservative: "This is not 'America First.'"
Paul was measured but unambiguous. "The Constitution conferred the power to declare or initiate war to Congress for a reason," he wrote, "to make war less likely… my oath of office is to the Constitution, so with studied care, I must oppose another Presidential war."
These are not Democrats reading talking points. These are the two most constitutionally serious conservatives in Washington. And they said the same thing Robert Taft said about Korea and Pat Buchanan said about Iraq: the decision to send Americans to die belongs to the people's representatives – not one man, no matter how right he is about the enemy.
The War Powers Resolution Vote This Week Is the Last Chance Congress Gets
Iran is a country of 90 million people. It fought Iraq for eight years in the 1980s and never quit.
The question Ro Khanna asked on Meet the Press deserves a straight answer from every hawk celebrating this week: "Are billions of our dollars going to be spent there? Are American troops going to be at risk?" Khamenei was 86. Iran was already selecting his successor before the missiles flew.
History offers no comfort here. Gadhafi required boots on the ground. Saddam required two wars and a decade of occupation. Airstrikes alone have never finished the job against a determined government – and Iran's interim leadership council is already dug in deep underground.
Trump said Iran "wants to talk" and he's agreed to it. That's exactly right. If the military campaign creates leverage for a deal that ends Iran's nuclear program without a ground war, this goes down as one of the great strategic victories in American history.
But that outcome isn't guaranteed. And the four soldiers already dead deserved a Congress that had formally debated and voted to put them in harm's way before the first bomb dropped.
The War Powers vote coming this week isn't about undermining Trump. It's about the document every member of Congress swore to uphold. If the cause is just – and destroying Iran's nuclear program is just – Trump should be able to win that vote.
Make him win it. That's how a republic is supposed to work.
Sources:
- Fox News, "Ex-CIA chief warns not to underestimate Iran's response after Operation Epic Fury," Fox News Digital, March 2, 2026.
- White House, "Peace Through Strength: President Trump Launches Operation Epic Fury," WhiteHouse.gov, March 1, 2026.
- Military.com, "Update: Four US Service Members Killed in Action, More Injured in Operation Epic Fury," March 2, 2026.
- Kentucky Lantern, "Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie says he will push for congressional vote on Iran war," February 28, 2026.
- NBC News, "Democrats will force a vote to limit Trump on Iran, along with some Republicans," February 28, 2026.
- The Hill, "Ro Khanna, Thomas Massie plan to force war powers vote on Iran," February 25, 2026.
- Wikipedia, "2026 Israeli–United States strikes on Iran," updated March 2, 2026.