CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) -- The attacks on Iran are drawing a strong reaction here in the United States. Officials and experts weighed in on the broader consequences of Saturday's strikes, but what comes next still remains unclear.
President Trump announced what he calls "major combat operations" in Iran Saturday, strikes that he said killed the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei. The news sent shockwaves globally, but Dr. Jonathan French Flint, a strategic theorist and military ethicist in Northeast Ohio, said signs pointed to it, even if the timing surprised locals.
"My initial reaction was a lack of surprise," he said. French Flint said military movements and political signals suggested something could happen -- but questions remain about what comes next.
"What I'm not hearing from anyone is a plan to secure the peace," he said. "Oil prices may go up. We may see gas prices, in turn, go up. So that is one potential effect which we may feel at home because oil is globally traded," he said.
Ohio U.S. Representative Shontel Brown also weighed in—questioned the president's authority to act without congressional approval.
"It is a clear violation of constitutional duties on the congressional side. We should be the ones making this determination," she said.
Brown said lawmakers need immediate answers.
"We need to be briefed on the rationale, the plan, the strategy, if there is one behind it," she said.
Ohio Senators Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted reacted to the strikes. Moreno said "President Trump sought for months to avoid conflict and negotiate with Iran to prevent them from rebuilding their nuclear program. I fully support his decision to eliminate the threat once and for all once it became clear there was no other option. President Trump will always put America's interests first and defend American citizens. I have complete trust in him to finally bring peace to the Middle East."
In a post on X, Husted said "Today, the President took action to address the threat Iran poses to America and global stability. I look forward to being briefed and learning more from the administration in the coming days. I pray for our military servicemembers, all Israeli military personnel, and our allies in harm's way. May God bless them and keep them safe."
French Flint also raised concerns about potential instability in the region and here in the U.S., urging Americans not to turn against one another.
"We are all Americans, and that we should not take out our frustrations of our government or other governments on one another," he said.