Senior Senate Democrats have emerged from a classified briefing on the US war with Iran demanding that the Trump administration set out its case in public, rather than relying only on closed-door briefings for Congress.

After the session, members of the Senate Armed Services Committee said they remain deeply concerned about the direction and purpose of the military campaign.

Senator Tim Kaine said lawmakers want to “drag this into the open” and question the administration in front of the American public. He added that while he had learned more in the briefing, much of it could not be shared with constituents worried about whether family members might be deployed.

Senator Jacky Rosen said the situation was “concerning” and “disturbing”, adding that she was still unclear about the administration’s endgame or its broader plan.

Senator Elizabeth Warren criticised the cost of the war, arguing the administration says there is no money for domestic priorities such as healthcare or childcare, while finding “billions of dollars a day” for military action in the Middle East. She also questioned whether air strikes alone could achieve objectives that, she said, the administration has still not properly explained.