US Speaker Pelosi: Trump administration to provide classified briefing on Iran

The US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday that President Donald Trump’s administration would provide a classified briefing for top lawmakers on Iran later on Thursday.

The Democratic leader of the US House of Representatives told reporters that the US administration does not have congressional authorization to go to war against Iran, according to Reuters.

“We’re hoping that for sure that before the break we will have a classified briefing on the Middle East, on Iran before the full House of Representatives,” she added.

It was not immediately clear who would conduct the briefing later Thursday, expected to include Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, and the four top leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees, according to AFP.

Pelosi also welcomed what she called Trump’s lack of “appetite” for military conflict with Tehran.

“I like what I hear from the president, that he has no appetite for this,” she said.

“One of the places that I agree with the president is in both of our opposition to the war in Iraq, and I hope that that same attitude will prevail with (Trump), even though some of his supporters are rattling sabers,” Pelosi said.

The United States on Wednesday ordered non-emergency staff evacuated from its Baghdad embassy due to an “imminent” threat from Iranian-linked Iraqi militias, a move that prompted concern on Capitol Hill.

(With Agencies)