Powerful, accurate, lethal and fast. Under construction are many hypersonic missiles. The fact that we have this great military and equipment, however, does not mean we have to use it. We do not want to use it. Finally to the people and leaders of iran, we want you to have a future and a great future, one that you deserve, one of prosperity at home and harmony with the nations of the world, the United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it. The situation is far from resolved. The future of our relationship with iran and that region is in question. President trump created this most recent conflict when he ordered the assassination of soleimani. Calls into question whether he would do something similar again. This morning lawmakers are set to receive a briefing on the killing. The classified update will likely contain whatever evidence the administration is using to justify the attack. And considering the president walked us right up to the precipice of yet another war in the middle east, the American People deserve to see that evidence as well. If it exists. Lets bring in from iraq nbc news chief foreign country richard ennel, ali allowsy, and geoff bennett. Ali, the ayatollah has promised that this wasnt the end of it. What are you yesterday when we were talking to you a couple days earlier, you said the iranians feel that a revenge is a dish best served cold. To drag the phrase out a bit, were still in the warm zone. Should we be expecting Something Else down the line maybe through a proxy . Reporter definitely. I mean, things havent really changed, katy. For now in this scen areaio iran is billing this as a victory. Theyre saying that their message got across. They are saying were going attack some u. S. Sites in evej for Qassem Soleimani and dont attack us otherwise well enflame the region. That message got received by President Trump. There was no attack here. For their domestic audience here, theyre saying this is a victory. They attacked america. There was no reprisal. But nothing has really changed can be katy. Today, the prem leader made a fiery speech again saying that attack last night was just the slap in the face. And the revenge for Qassem Soleimani is still due to come. And the reality also is, katy, that nothing has changed other than Qassem Soleimani dying and iran didnt serve up that revenge they were promising. Iran talked about a very severe retribution againstst United States, but we just heard the president talking, and he said there were no casualties. He didnt talk about any major damage, even though the iranians in you be substantiated claims are talking about massive damage at that base that they attacked. Theyre talking about having taken out helicopters and drones and even casualties. But weve seen no evidence about that. So some people here are asking, was this really an eye for an eye . Hitting a base in the middle of the desert without causing any casualties doesnt really compare to losing your top general in the country, arguely the second most powerful man in the country, that had conducted all of your operations here, built a network of militias that were so close to u. S. Assets all over this place, that could strike at any moment. And also, which was interesting during the supreme leaders speech, he reiterated three or four times that the objective still remains to gets the United States out of this entire region. So for now, i think iran are going to bill this as a domestic victory for their base. There were passionate crowds outside chanting for reverge for Qassem Soleimanis death. They can say they did that but the straeng in this country remains the same. The man who replace the him who stepped out of the shadows and has become the new Quds Force Leader is going to want to prove himself. He is going to want to cultivate all those relationships that Qassem Soleimani had with all of these militias. It was a cultish figure amongst them. His replacement is going to have to do work to build up all of those relationships. He knows them, been next to soleimani for 20 years, during the iran iraq war. Thats so important. Having those militias, having that foothold in iraq, which gives them that strangle hold on syria is one of the most strategic things for iran. More important than being a part of the nuclear deal. Nothing is going to change. I dont think theyll serve up revenge now but the status quo remains the same. Lets go to Richard Engle in iraq. I want to ask you if anything has changed in iraq on the ground but also ask you about how people are feeling about the iranians intentions here. Intelligence sources of mine, and i know weve been talking about this on our air, have said that if the iranians wanted to hit something, they know how. They have that capability. They proved it when they hit the Saudi Oil Fields a few months back. This did not hit anything. Is there a feeling like more could be coming . Is iraq breathing a sigh of relief . What are you hearing . Reporter so a little bit of all of that, frankly. There are those including a senior iraqi official i just spoke to who are breathing a sigh of relief that we lived through the night, that the u. S. And iran arent going into a conventional war at the moment. There were reports last night that were flying around that some sort of u. S. Response was in progress, that aircraft had been leaving from the persian gulf and were on their way to attack iran. It turned out that it didnt happen. But 24 hours ago, just about, people were very concerned that we were entering into a hot shooting war with iran that could enflame the entire middle east. And you saw iran issuing these very hyperbolic threats that it was going to bomb israel, destroy dubai, unleash all of its militias. A sigh of relief that that didnt happen. Now the concern is, what is the next scenario . And the concern particularly is about the militia groups aligned with iran here in iraq. Because the overall objective that iran has set out, which it reiterated again today, is not just to enact some sort of slap on the face or on the wrists, whatever you want to call it, against the United States for the targeted killing of their general, but the broader policy of pushing u. S. Troops out of the middle east. And the militia groups here want to be part of that. The u. S. Troops in this country are fairly spread out. The militias are integrated into the Iraqi Security forces. If they wanted to they could create an enormous amount of pain and chaos for the u. S. Troop presence here in this country, and there is a concern that that will happen. We talk a lot about the killing of the iranian general and later today u. S. Lawmakers are going to get some sort of a briefing on that. He wasnt alone. He was in iraq to meet meeting with a shia militia leader. They were killed together. In all of the memorials, and there was very large memorials on the streets of baghdad and tehran, they were carrying pictures of both men. Well the Iraqi Militia leaders and militia never got their ven jerns. There is the concern they could strike back. Is that relief . I dont know if its exactly relief. It is more, we have gone from one crisis and are looking to what might be coming next. It doesnt sound like all is well either, which the president tweeted out last night. Jeff, lawmakers are getting a briefing and some of them already have or are in the process of getting a briefing on presumably the justification to take out Qassem Soleimani. What are lawmakers expecting and how much skepticism are you hearing from from those on capitol hill . Reporter the briefing the house just held just wrapped up. The briefing starts ten or 20 minutes from now. Theyre classified so they cant tell us what was conveyed to them. But reaction among the members that our team caught up with have broken along party lines. A close friend of President Trump said what he heard was compelling and decisive and left little doubt that President Trump made the right call. But democratic congressman jerry conley said what he heard was sophomoric and utterly unconvincing. This is all unfolding as House Democrats are debating among themselves how to draft a resolution to would curtail options when it comes to you know laterally taking action against iran. There was one introduced by tim kaine, one in the house by Melissa Slotkin who happens to be a former cia analyst. It lays out, would allow for President Trump, within 30 days, he would have to end any sort of action he would take against iran. The democrats had hoped to vote on it this week. But last nights developments has really thrown a wrench into that timeline. Democrats are having to thread the needle to reaffirm Congress Power to declare war while not appearing to limit President Trumps range of options in this National Security crisis. Geoff bennett, ali allowsy, everyone thank you. Joining me now, brett mcgurk and former commandant of the u. S. Army war college, robert scales. Welcome. I do want to start with you, brett. Were looking at a situation that clearly, according to ali arouzi and Richard Engel is still tense. The president tweet the out all is well. This morning he says its fine, and let me blame the Obama Administration for everything that has led to this point. There was also a portion of that speech where he talks about how the iranians felt they could be more violent after the iran deal was signed. But the violence that he points to is all is it you have that happened postdonald trump leaving the iran deal and postimposing more sanctions. Give me a reality check of whats happening from your perspective . I think we can stipulate is iran a bad actor . Yes, thats been the case over multiple president s. But in the most recent era, when did these provocative actions really start happening . They happened last may with the attacks in the gulf against shipping, shooting down our drone, and a few months ago after an almost eightyear pause, ca taidu ib hezbollah fired at our bases. That happened in may. And when started happening we got into this action areaction cycle. They attack, washington deliberates, we send more troops. They do Something Else, we deliberate and send more troops. Now weve sent in since may about 20,000 additional military personnel into the middle east. That really started in may on President Trumps watch. So i just think we have to try to be nonpartisan and analyze factually. To make claims that these missiles were funded by money that was released under the Obama Administration, theres no data to support that whatsoever. I think thats a pretty sen stational charge at a time in which we have americans under fire from iran ballistic missiles. And all americans today are taking a great breath of relief after the events we saw last night when nobody knew what the aftermath would be. So i just think the facts here, this really started in may of last year. And weve sucked a lot of resources and military resources into the middle east which is contrary to trumps own strategy which is to reposture out towards asia. I think you summed it up with richard. Weve been on this escalatory ladder. I think we just took a couple rungs down. But were still on the ladder, and irans behavior i do not think is is going to significantly change, probably not another overt attack like last night, but working through proxies, provocations in the east, and the ball might be back in Donald Trumps court again because there does not seem to be a well prepared diplomatic offer. Because iran will not just come to the table in terms of capitulation under pressure. There has to be an arrangement in which it looks like theyre saving face. Thats the unfortunate reality in dealing with them to get them back into the table that we left. The president is likely to say the killing of soleimani worked and my Pressure Campaign worked. The iranians fired back. They missed. They didnt kill any americans. Nothing bad happened. This is all okay. Major scales, what do you say to that . Well i think the thing that impresses me most, what we get over what happened in the last 24 hours is neither side wants war. Both sides had an opportunity to escalate. Both sides tended to back down. Probably more of a hit on the ayatollahs because their damage was greater and their people can see through this sort of, you know, circuslike fire strike. But on the other side the administration clearly doesnt want war. I talked to a friend at the pentagon. One of the first things that the administration said to the military chiefs of staff is, how do we get out of this . How do we deescalate it . One of the things thats in the National Security strategy is to move the focus out of the middle east. I think the one group inside this city that is most antithetical to the iranians are the military. They have the greatest cause for celebrating the death of soleimani. But even theyre being muted inside the pentagon. The last thing they want is a conventional hightech Weapons Exchange with the iranians. Wed win that exchange, but boy, ill tell you what, katy, the cost would be horrific. One more question, the shifting narratives for the justification, in recent days mike pompeo has seemed to suggest that it was just reporte reporters who were talking about how there was an imminent threat when he had used that to justify the killing multiple times. The president went back to that today. He said that there was an imminent threat and that thousands it went from hundreds and now this morning the president saying thousands of lives were saskd. We still havent seen any evidence that proves that. Should we be waiting for that evidence . Is there a reason in your mind why we cant see that . Again, i said this before, if there was a plot that was going kill hundreds of americans, just taking out Qassem Soleimani is not going to end that plot. He works through well established proxies. He had pretty good discipline on them. The fact that hes removed, they would be out there with the same capabilities and capacities. Another thing about that, theres always an asemgs when trump speaks about these things that suggests that he is in control of events. And i think weve learned one in the middle east, were often not in control of events. A lot of these groups in terms of a rocketing with something happening in the gulf, we are not in control of events in the middle east. We need to therefore proceed with caution and prudence. And thats not something that i think the president has been doing. So i think were still on that escalatory ladder. I hope behind the scenes theres backchannel messaging going on, trying to put together an achievable objective. Otherwise this will remain at a low boil. Gentlemen, thank you very much. Still ahead, how the tensions with iran could reshape the contours of the race for the presidency. And later, democratic congressman seth moulton reacts to todays briefing on the intelligence behind the strike. Floridas Francis Rooney joins me next. Stay with us. Next. Stay with us ers like martin. An air force veteran made of doing whats right, not whats easy. So when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. Thats how you do it right. Usaa insurance is made just the way martins family needs it with hasslefree claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. Because doing right by our members, thats whats right. Usaa. What youre made of, were made for. Usaa the amount of Student Loan Debt i have im embarrassed to even say i felt like i was going to spend my whole adult life paying this off thanks to sofi, i can see the light at the end of the tunnel as of 12pm today, i am debt free we have no debt, we dont owe anybody anything, and its fantastic i dont make compromises. I want nutrition made just for me. But i also want great taste. So i drink boost for women. New boost women with key nutrients to help support thyroid, bone, hair and skin health. All with great taste. New boost women. Al. Depend® silhouette™ briefs feature maximum absorbency, with trusted protection for all out confidence. Beautiful colors and an improved fit for a sleek design and personal style. Lifes better when youre in it. Be there with depend®. Senators are about to be briefed on the trump administrations decision to kill Major GeneralQassem Soleimani. House members just left the briefing moments ago. They had largely been kept in the dark. Were watching for kmecht from there. Lets bring in Florida Republican congressman Francis Rooney. Always good to have you. Thank you for coming on. Curious, why did you not attend the briefing just now . I had a conflict that was longstanding. And ill get the information this afternoon. But when people travel a long way to come see me in my office, i want to make sure and accommodate them. The administration has said the decision to prevent the decision was made because it was to prevent an imminent attack. The president repeated that this morning. He changed the number of hundreds of lives to thousands of lives. Were five days later and asking to see the evidence. Are you confident that that evidence exists . Well, i hope it exists, because theyre saying it does. I think we all need to see the basis for the attack and what kind of evidence there was. From what i understand, there havent been a lot of negative comments about it. So maybe there was something served up. But i want to make sure i get a chance to see it all and hear the facts. Do you trust not just this admini