An Ohio congressman said that Iran "remained a threat" in an interview about the U.S. and Israel launching a series of airstrikes in Iran.
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Dayton) answered questions about the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran when appearing on CBS Face The Nation on March 1.
The strikes were launched on Saturday without congressional authorization. Article 1 of the Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to declare war.
According to NPR, top Congressional Democrats and Republicans that make up a group known as the Gang of Eight — party leaders from both chambers, as well as the Intelligence committees' leadership — were notified by the White House shortly before the attack.
Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan asked Turner why the strikes were carried out now.
Turner said an opportunity was there to eliminate "an imminent threat to the United States."
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in Israeli strikes carried out with U.S. support.
When asked Brennan asked Turner about the strike against the Khamenei, Turner said the U.S. wasn't seeking a regime change.
Turner said when he talked to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio "he was very clear in the answer that we did not target Khomeini and that we were not targeting the leadership in Iran."
"The aspect that the United States was not undertaking regime change is very important," Turner said.
