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After nearly two years of stark divisions over the war in Gaza and support for Israel, Democrats are now finding themselves at odds over U.S. policy toward Iran as progressives demand unified opposition to President Donald Trump’s consideration of a strike against Tehran’s nuclear program while party leaders tread more cautiously.

U.S. leaders of all stripes have found common ground for two decades on the position that Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. The longtime U.S. foe has supported groups that have killed Americans across the Mideast and threatens to destroy Israel. But Trump鈥檚 public flirtation with joining Israel鈥檚 offensive against Iran may become the Democratic Party鈥檚 latest schism, just as it is sharply dividing Trump’s isolationist 鈥淢ake America Great Again鈥� base from more hawkish conservatives.

While progressives have staked out clear opposition to Trump’s potential actions, the party leadership is playing the safer ground of demanding a role for Congress before Trump could use force against Iran. Many prominent Democrats with 2028 presidential aspirations are staying silent, so far, on the Israel-Iran war.

鈥淭hey are sort of hedging their bets,鈥� said Joel Rubin, a former deputy assistant secretary of state who served under Democratic President Barack Obama and is now a strategist on foreign policy. 鈥淭he beasts of the Democratic Party鈥檚 constituencies right now are so hostile to Israel鈥檚 war in Gaza that it鈥檚 really difficult to come out looking like one would corroborate an unauthorized war that supports Israel without blowback.鈥�

Progressive Democrats use Trump鈥檚 ideas and words

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., has called Trump’s consideration of an attack 鈥渁 defining moment for our party鈥� and has introduced legislation with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., that calls on the Republican president to 鈥渢erminate鈥� the use of U.S. armed forces against Iran unless 鈥渆xplicitly authorized鈥� by a declaration of war from Congress.

Khanna used Trump鈥檚 own campaign arguments of putting American interests first when the congressman spoke to Theo Von, a comedian who has been supportive of the president and is popular in the 鈥渕anosphere.鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 going to cost this country a lot of money that should be being spent here at home,鈥� said Khanna, who is said to be among the many Democrats eyeing the party’s 2028 primary.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who twice sought the Democratic presidential nomination, pointed to Trump鈥檚 stated goal during his inaugural speech of being known as 鈥渁 peacemaker and a unifier.鈥�

鈥淰ery fine words. Trump should remember them today. Supporting Netanyahu鈥檚 war against Iran would be a catastrophic mistake,鈥� Sanders said about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Sanders has reintroduced legislation prohibiting the use of federal money for force against Iran, insisted that U.S. military intervention would be unwise and illegal and accused Israel of striking unprovoked. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York signed on to a similar bill from Sanders in 2020, but he is so far holding off this time.

Some believe the party should stake out a clear anti-war stance as Trump weighs whether to launch a military offensive that is seemingly counter to the anti-interventionism he promised during his 2024 campaign.

鈥淭he leaders of the Democratic Party need to step up and loudly oppose war with Iran and demand a vote in Congress,鈥� said Tommy Vietor, a former Obama aide, on X.

Mainstream Democrats are cautious, while critical

The staunch support from the Democratic administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for Israel鈥檚 war against Hamas loomed over the party’s White House ticket in 2024, even with the criticism of Israel鈥檚 handling of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Trump exploited the divisions to make inroads with Arab American voters and Orthodox Jews on his way back to the White House.

Today, the Israel-Iran war is the latest test for a party struggling to repair its coalition before next year鈥檚 midterm elections and the quick-to-follow kickoff to the 2028 presidential race. Bridging the divide between an activist base that is skeptical of foreign interventions and already critical of U.S. support for Israel and more traditional Democrats and independents who make up a sizable, if not always vocal, voting bloc.

In a statement after Israel鈥檚 first strikes, Schumer said Israel has a right to defend itself and 鈥渢he United States鈥� commitment to Israel鈥檚 security and defense must be ironclad as they prepare for Iran鈥檚 response.鈥�

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., was also cautious in responding to the Israeli action and said 鈥渢he U.S. must continue to stand with Israel, as it has for decades, at this dangerous moment.”

鈥淚t really seems like the Trump and Iran war track is kind of going along like a Formula 1 racetrack, and then the Democrats are in some sort of tricycle or something trying to keep up,鈥� said Ryan Costello, a policy director for the Washington-based National Iranian American Council, which advocates for diplomatic engagement between U.S. and Iran.

Other Democrats have condemned Israel鈥檚 strikes and accused Netanyahu of sabotaging nuclear talks with Iran. They are reminding the public that Trump withdrew in 2018 from a nuclear agreement that limited Tehran鈥檚 enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions negotiated during the Obama administration.

鈥淭rump created the problem,鈥� said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., on X. 鈥淭he single reason Iran was so close to obtaining a nuclear weapon is that Trump destroyed the diplomatic agreement that put major, verifiable constraints on their nuclear program.鈥�

The progressives’ pushback

A found that about half of Democrats said the U.S. was being 鈥渢oo supportive鈥� of Israel and about 4 in 10 said their level support was 鈥渁bout right.鈥� Democrats were more likely than independents and Republicans to say the Israeli government had 鈥渁 lot鈥� of responsibility for the continuation of the war between Israel and Hamas.

About 6 in 10 Democrats and half of Republicans felt Iran was an adversary with whom the U.S. was in conflict.

Democratic Rep. Yassamin Ansari, an Iranian American from Arizona, said Iranians are unwitting victims in the conflict because there aren’t shelters or infrastructure to protect civilians from targeted missiles as there are in Israel.

鈥淭he Iranian people are not the regime, and they should not be punished for its actions,鈥� Ansari posted on X, while criticizing Trump for fomenting fear among the Iranian population. 鈥淭he Iranian people deserve freedom from the barbaric regime, and Israelis deserve security.”

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Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report