Iran’s top military strategist, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, was killed Friday in a drone strike ordered by President Donald Trump.

The move represents the most recent development in a series of escalating exchanges between the U.S and Iran. Commentators have pointed out that killing a sitting foreign official is a move that could legally be considered an act of war.

If reports are true, assassinating Iran’s Soleimani would represent a major, overt act of war. Functionally and legally, it’s not a “risk of war” or “tantamount to war.” It is war outright, and against a country that has invested years of preparation into enduring just that. — Max Fisher (@Max_Fisher) January 3, 2020

In a press release, a seemingly outraged Pelosi demanded the Trump administration brief Congress on the attack, claiming it was carried out without Congressional approval.

But under Pelosi’s leadership Democrats stripped two provisions from the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, that could have prevented tonights attack.

Representative Ro Khanna and Representative Barbara Lee both proposed separate amendments to the NDAA that could have prevented Friday’s attack. Both amendments were stripped from the final NDAA with and ultimately approved by both House and Senate Democrats.

There were two amendments stripped from the NDAA that could have prevented tonight's escalation.



My amendment to prevent funding for war with Iran without Congressional approval.@BLeeForCongress's amendment to repeal the 2001 AUMF. — Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) January 3, 2020

After Democrats gutted the provisions from the bill, Senator Bernie Sanders issued a statement urging Congress to vote no, citing the potential of war with Iran as major concern.

Congress must vote against this disastrous Pentagon authorization—a bill of astonishing moral cowardice. Congress should have used this National Defense Authorization Act to stop our endless wars. Instead, this bill does nothing to rein in out-of-control military spending, prevent unconstitutional war against Iran, limit the poisoning of Americans’ drinking water, or end the obscenity of innocent children in Yemen being killed by U.S. bombs.

It took less than one month for Sander’s fears to come true.