As the U.S.-backed war involving Iran enters its second month, President Donald Trump has set an April 6 deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning of attacks on Iranian power plants while also claiming talks are progressing—an assertion Iranian officials have publicly disputed. In a recent NPR interview, Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, argued the conflict risks widening and may not achieve its stated aims. He also discussed the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding lapse that has left the agency partially shut down amid a standoff over immigration enforcement policy.
In a conversation aired by NPR, Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the fighting tied to Iran had stretched on for roughly a month and warned that continued escalation could draw the United States deeper into a broader regional war.
Smith’s comments came as tensions flared beyond Iran itself. Israel’s military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen, and Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed responsibility—an attack the Houthis described as their first since the conflict began.
President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly argued that U.S. and allied strikes have significantly degraded Iran’s military capabilities, has also issued a shifting ultimatum tied to commercial shipping: reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face U.S. attacks on Iranian power plants. The White House deadline now stands at April 6, after Trump extended it from earlier time frames. At the same time, Trump has said Iran wants to make a deal, while Iranian officials have denied that talks are underway.
Smith said he supports preventing Iran from threatening the region with ballistic missiles, but he cautioned that military efforts to eliminate that capability can be costly, uncertain, and potentially destabilizing—especially if the conflict spreads or triggers disruptions in global energy markets. He urged a ceasefire and negotiations, arguing that a prolonged campaign could fall short of its objectives while increasing the risk of a larger Middle East war.
Separately, Smith addressed the continuing funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security, which began in mid-February after lawmakers failed to enact new appropriations for the department. The shutdown, now in its second month, has become a major point of friction between House and Senate Republicans as well as between the parties.
In recent days, Senate Republicans and Democrats coalesced around a plan aimed at restoring funding while setting aside disputes over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). That approach drew criticism from House Speaker Mike Johnson, who rejected the Senate plan and instead moved forward with a short-term bill to fund DHS temporarily. The House passed that measure late Friday, sending it to the Senate as lawmakers continue to negotiate over immigration enforcement policy and broader DHS funding.
Democrats have tied their support for full DHS funding to changes in how immigration enforcement operations are conducted, pointing to public backlash after two fatal shootings involving federal immigration authorities in Minneapolis earlier this year, according to contemporaneous reporting. Republicans have argued that DHS should be funded without conditions, warning that a prolonged shutdown strains agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard.
Smith said he believes a bipartisan outcome is still achievable, but only if leaders allow votes on funding proposals that can attract broad support in both chambers.
