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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Diplomats at the United Nations are calling for restraint and diplomacy after the U.S. joined Israel this week in striking nuclear facilities in Iran.
The Iranians, meanwhile, say the Trump administration destroyed diplomacy. As NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations accuses the U.S. of helping Israel with its, quote, dirty work and vowed that Iran will respond to the targeting of its nuclear facilities. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres is calling for restraint to avoid sinking into, as he puts it, a rat hole of retaliation after retaliation.
The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, says the region needs peace. The nuclear nonproliferation regime that has underpinned international security for more than half a century is on the line. Grossi is calling for a ceasefire and a chance for his inspectors to visit Iranian nuclear sites. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, Washington.
Congressional Democrats say Trump's action in Iran was unconstitutional because he did not consult with Congress beforehand. Some Republicans joined with Democrats over that concern, but as NPR's Stephen Fowler tells us, the vast majority of them gave Trump their supports. There are a few things that have been at play during President Trump's second term this year.
One, there's even more agreement among Republicans with the policies and priorities that President Trump is pursuing from things like immigration to the economy to, yes, foreign policy. Basically, there's near unanimous support for bombing Iran's nuclear sites.
Two, Republicans in Congress have also been content to let President Trump's view of executive power expand more and more, including into congressional appropriations and these war power type actions that the Constitution says belongs with Congress. So there's not really any pushback and hasn't been for many things this year. Democrats, meanwhile, were also not briefed on the raid until after U.S. forces left Iranian airspace.
In Syria, a suicide bombing inside a church has killed at least 20 people. It's the first such bombing in years in the Syrian capital. NPR's Jane Araf has our details. Security officials said the bomber struck during Sunday service at a Greek Orthodox church on the outskirts of Damascus. Church officials said the attack began with gunfire before at least one suicide bomber burst in and detonated an explosive vest in the St. Ilias Church.
Several hundred worshippers were there at the time. The attack is believed to be the first suicide bombing in Damascus in almost a decade, when the militant group ISIS was in full force. The Syrian government, which took control after the Bashar al-Assad regime was toppled in December, has tried hard to persuade religious minorities they would be safe in the new Syria. Jane Araf, NPR News, Amman. And you're listening to NPR News.
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