Nevada senators vocal in support of Israel as it ramps up strikes on Iran

Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) speaks during a Nevada Democratic Party election night watch party at Aria, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Photo by: Wade Vandervort

Nevada's U.S. Democratic Sens. Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto both vocally committed their support for Israel as the nation has continued to escalate its attacks on Iran, which began last week.  

A spokesperson for Rosen said the senator, who has been consistent in her support for Israel, believes the nation “acted in self-defense against an existential threat,” adding that the U.S. must continue supporting Israel and that a “nuclear Iran” is a threat to the entire world. 

Rosen announced her position in reference to a new report from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog that Tehran has a growing enriched uranium stockpile while not complying with international oversight. Some of the terms of its agreement with several U.N. nations were from the Iran nuclear deal President Donald Trump backed out of in his first term, however. 

In a statement to the Sun, Lauren Wodarski, a spokesperson for Cortez Masto said in a statement that the senator's "first priority is keeping Nevadans safe.”

“She will continue working in Congress to protect our service members in the Middle East and deliver the support Israel needs to defend itself,” Wodarski stated. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons, but National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard said in March that the U.S. intelligence community found no nuclear weapon being built. 

After writing on social media that Tehran should be evacuated, Trump told reporters that he didn’t care what Gabbard had previously said. 

There is already legislation on the Senate floor ahead in the case that Trump would authorize any U.S. military involvement in the conflict. Sen. Tim Kaine’s, D-Va., latest war powers resolution emphasizes that Congress has the power to declare war, not the president — though that notion has been stretched to its limits in recent decades. The resolution would require debate and a vote before “using any U.S. military force against Iran,” Kaine's office wrote in a press release. 

As of Tuesday, Rosen is still reviewing the war powers resolution the Virginia Senator proposed, her spokesperson told the Sun. 

Cortez Masto signaled that she supports Kaine's position, as her spokesperson said the senator believes Trump needs to be working with Congress on “any decision that could put U.S. troops in harm’s way.” 

Since fighting broke out Thursday, Israel and Iran have lobbed missile strikes at each other. CNN most recently reported that Israeli strikes have killed over 200 people in Iran while missile attacks on Israel have killed about 24. Israel also reports several of Iran's top military officials are dead. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., also on Monday introduced the No War Against Iran Act, which states that federal funds cannot be used for “military force in or against Iran absent specific Congressional authorization,” Sanders’ office wrote in a press release.

He was joined by a group of progressive senators, such as Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.

Sanders continued in his press release that Netanyahu’s attacks are “reckless and illegal” and that "Congress must make it clear that the United States will not be dragged into Netanyahu's war of choice."

Neither Nevada senator mentioned Sanders’ legislation in their statements.