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Three Democratic senators have raised concerns that the Trump administration may deploy US troops on the ground in Iran following a classified briefing on the conflict.

Getting into it: Following a classified briefing led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Dan Caine before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said he left the session deeply frustrated and worried about the direction of the conflict. “We seem to be on a path toward deploying American troops on the ground in Iran to accomplish any of the potential objectives here,” Blumenthal told reporters afterward. He said the briefing left him “as dissatisfied and angry, frankly, as I have from any past briefing in my 15 years in the Senate,” adding that he walked away with “more questions than answers,” particularly about the cost of the war and the risks to American service members.

Blumenthal warned that putting US troops inside Iran would significantly raise the stakes of the conflict and expose American forces to greater danger. According to the senator, lawmakers were given few clear answers about the administration’s long-term strategy or how far military operations could expand. “The American people deserve to know much more than this administration has told them about the cost of the war, the danger to our sons and daughters in uniform and the potential for further escalation and widening of this war,” he said.

Other Democratic lawmakers echoed those concerns after the classified briefing. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) warned about the risks of escalation if US troops were deployed and highlighted the broader geopolitical dangers surrounding the conflict. “We know that Russia is already helping with intel, providing that to Iran,” she said, warning that an “axis with Russia and China, Iran and North Korea… puts at greater risk the United States and our national security.” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) also pointed to the potential human cost, saying officials acknowledged during the briefing that more US casualties could occur. “We have to have a debate in the United States Senate on the authorization of military force,” Murphy said, arguing that Congress should weigh in before the conflict expands to include US ground operations.

Some reports indicate that Trump has been weighing whether US ground forces could be used to carry out more targeted missions inside Iran as the conflict continues. Potential roles discussed include operations to secure or destroy Iranian nuclear facilities, eliminate high-value military targets or conduct special operations such as capture-or-kill missions against senior Iranian commanders. Ground forces could also be deployed to help dismantle Iran’s drone and ballistic missile capabilities or secure key strategic locations if air and naval strikes alone fail to achieve those objectives.

This all comes as some Republican lawmakers have indicated they would be wary of sending US troops into Iran. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said deploying “boots on the ground” would likely require congressional authorization and urged the president to rule out that possibility. He added it would be “difficult to imagine a scenario where I would” support sending troops.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a close Trump ally and new pick to lead DHS, similarly said the administration would need to justify such a move to lawmakers, saying deploying ground forces would be “a case they’d have to make at that time.” Other Republicans suggested limited ground operations could still be possible without a broader invasion.