Bernie Sanders denounces Trump’s Iran strikes as unconstitutional at Oklahoma rally; crowd demands end to U.S. military interventions.

Sanders and Supporters React in Real Time to U.S. Airstrikes

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont was addressing a ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday night when news broke that President Donald Trump had ordered successful airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. As Sanders spoke, an aide handed him a note with Trump’s statement, leading the senator to pause and read it aloud to the crowd. Trump’s message reported the completion of strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, declaring the mission a success and stating, “All planes are now outside of Iran air space.”

The Tulsa audience, reacting immediately, began to chant, “No more wars!” as Sanders shook his head at the announcement. Addressing his supporters, Sanders called the strike both “alarming” and “so grossly unconstitutional.” He argued forcefully, “All of you know that the only entity that can take this country to war is the U.S. Congress. The president does not have the right.”

Sanders’s remarks echoed the bipartisan outcry in Congress, where a War Powers Resolution had been introduced to restrict unauthorized military engagement in Iran. The resolution seeks to ensure that the deployment of U.S. armed forces cannot proceed without a formal declaration of war or specific congressional authorization. Sanders reminded the audience, “The American people do not want more war, more death! It might be a good idea if we concentrated on the problems that exist in Oklahoma and Vermont rather than getting involved in another war that the American people do not want.”

Call for Domestic Focus and Grassroots Action

The senator urged his followers not to lose hope for a better direction, declaring, “What we have got to do in Vermont and Oklahoma, in Texas, all over this country, is stand up and fight back, and tell them this is our country!” Sanders has consistently opposed U.S. military involvement alongside Israel in its conflict with Iran. Earlier in the week, he posted on social media, “Netanyahu is not the President of the United States. He should not be determining U.S. foreign and military policy. If the people of Israel support his decision to start a war with Iran, that is their business and their war. The United States must not be a part of it.”

Sanders’s criticism extends to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s broader military strategy, especially regarding Gaza, which he labeled as repeated violations of international law. At Saturday’s rally—part of Sanders’s “Fighting Oligarchy” southern tour—he reiterated that the focus should be on addressing pressing domestic issues, not entering new foreign conflicts.

The tour, which aims to mobilize voters in traditionally Republican districts, features other prominent Democrats, including Rep. Greg Casar and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, with additional rallies scheduled in Texas and Louisiana. Sanders’s grassroots message and live reaction to the Iran strike underscored the deep divisions over U.S. military interventions and the growing demand for congressional oversight in decisions of war and peace.