CNN Panel Erupts as Jennings Destroys West’s Iran Strike Complaints [WATCH]

A CNN panel discussion on Tuesday night grew tense when CNN Senior Political Commentator Scott Jennings clashed with former independent presidential candidate Cornel West over the morality of recent U.S. military strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program.

The debate followed a U.S. military operation early Sunday morning local time that struck Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

The operation involved seven B-2A Spirit stealth bombers and a 37-hour roundtrip flight, during which the aircraft deployed 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators against key facilities suspected of supporting Iran’s nuclear weapons development.

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West criticized the strikes as violations of international law and national sovereignty. “It’s illegal, unconstitutional and a violation of international law. You can’t violate national sovereignty of a country,” West said.

Pete Seat, a former official in the George W. Bush administration, interrupted, stating, “It is not illegal in any way, shape or form.”

The exchange quickly escalated between Jennings and West, with Jennings defending the decision to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“We do it all the time,” Jennings said in response to West’s assertion that the U.S. routinely violates international law.

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West replied, “I know, because America violates international law all the time.”

Jennings pushed back further, asking, “Who’s going to stop us? Who’s going to stop us?”

“You would think morality ought to play some role,” West responded.

“You think it’s immoral to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon?” Jennings asked.

“Who’s the moral actor here, Iran or the United States?”

West did not directly answer the question but elaborated that both Israel and the U.S. lacked moral authority in the matter.

He referenced Israeli military actions in Gaza as disqualifying the country from holding the moral high ground.

“Israel has no moral authority,” West said, adding that the United States, in his view, also lacked credibility due to its foreign policy history.

The panel’s exchange occurred just days after Israel launched its own military operation on June 12, also targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and reportedly striking senior regime scientists and military officials. That operation preceded the U.S. airstrike campaign.

In response to the strikes, Iran launched multiple missile attacks targeting Israeli cities and has continued to reject international negotiations concerning its nuclear ambitions.

The U.S. government has stated that the recent strikes were necessary to disrupt Iran’s nuclear capabilities and prevent further escalation in the region.

However, the legality and political implications of the operation remain the subject of ongoing debate.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) joined other progressive Democrats in criticizing the operation, calling for President Donald Trump to be impeached.

In a post on X, Ocasio-Cortez labeled the strike “absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment,” asserting that it lacked Congressional authorization.

The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers.

He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations.

It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 22, 2025

Other Democratic lawmakers are reportedly preparing to introduce a resolution aimed at restricting the executive branch from launching additional military strikes on Iran without prior approval from Congress.

While the Biden administration had pursued a policy of diplomacy during its tenure, the Trump administration has taken a more direct military approach toward Iran’s nuclear ambitions, emphasizing deterrence and eliminating threats before they materialize.

As U.S. and Israeli forces remain on alert amid ongoing tensions, the international response to the coordinated strikes is still developing.

The full extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear program has not yet been publicly confirmed.

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