Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, sharply criticized Israel for launching air-strikes on Iran, calling the move “a reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence.” In a statement issued late Thursday, Reed said the strikes threaten “not only the lives of innocent civilians but the stability of the entire Middle East” as well as the safety of American personnel stationed in the region. Reed’s remarks mark one of the most forceful rebukes of a long-standing U.S. ally by a senior member of Congress overseeing military affairs. He urged all parties to pursue de-escalation to avoid a wider conflict. The reaction in Washington was not uniform. Senator Jim Risch, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, voiced solidarity with Israel and warned that any Iranian attack on U.S. forces would be “a grave mistake.” The divergent responses highlight widening partisan fissures over how the United States should navigate the mounting tensions between Israel and Iran.