A political clash has erupted between Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace and Progressive Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, as tensions rise following President Donald Trump’s military actions in Iran.

After the announcement of the death of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday, Mace took to social media platform X to express her condolences. However, her message also contained a pointed jab at Omar and her fellow progressive ‘Squad’ member, Rashida Tlaib, offering them “thoughts and prayers” in light of Khamenei’s assassination.

Omar has openly criticized Trump’s military strikes on Iran, which led to the death of Khamenei and more than 48 senior military officials, labeling the actions as an “illegal regime change war.”

Similarly, Tlaib has voiced her disapproval, arguing that Trump cannot “liberate” people by resorting to violence and devastation.

Mace, representing South Carolina as a Republican, stated, “The Iranian people have fought for their freedom. Their cries did not go unheard, not on Trump’s watch.”

‘The Iranian people have bled for their freedom. Their cries did not fall on deaf ears. Not on Trump’s watch,’ Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, observed.

Replying to Mace’s ‘thoughts and prayers’ attack, Omar fired back: ‘I hope you aren’t drunk and took your staff’s advice, Rashida and I don’t know this man and feel confident he didn’t care about us.’

‘Please restrain from drinking too much as you have been warned from your staff and stay off social media when you are drunk,’ Omar went on.

Omar and Tlaib shout at U.S. President Donald Trump as he delivers his State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the US Capitol on February 24, 2026, in Washington, DC

‘I pray in his holy month you find peace and respect for yourself,’ Omar added.

Mace jabbed back with two additional attacks, one over Omar’s grammar in the post, misspelling of ‘restrain’ and one even more personal.

‘Honey, it’s ‘please refrain’ not ‘please restrain.’ This is what happens when your staff is from the Third World and can’t speak proper English,’ Mace hit back.

Mace also asked Omar, ‘So tell me, what was it like being married to your brother?’

Allegations that Omar married her brother have dogged her since she first entered Congress – claims she has repeatedly and forcefully denied as ‘absurd and offensive.’ 

No court, federal prosecutor or credible investigation has substantiated them. If ever proven true, she would have committed federal marriage fraud.

Omar was born in Somalia and came to the US in 1995. She became a naturalized citizen, though the precise date has not been independently confirmed.

In 2002, Omar entered into an Islamic ceremony with Ahmed Hirsi, the father of her children, though the couple never completed the civil marriage process and were not legally wed. 

By 2008, the relationship had ended. In 2009, she legally married Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, a British citizen. 

That marriage ended in 2011 when the couple separated and divorced.

Omar has been married to political consultant Tim Mynett since 2020, after divorcing Elmi in 2017.

Mace on on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Wednesday January 21, 2026

Mace and Omar exchanged jabs on X following the joint US/Israel strikes on Iran

Mace has also asked the House Intelligence Committee to look into Omar’s immigration records.

It is not the first time the South Carolinian’s alleged drinking habits have been brought up publicly. 

Numerous former members of Team Mace who spoke with New York Magazine earlier this year shared their nightmarish experiences of working for her.

‘Look, when I worked for her, our poor scheduler was getting calls at two o’clock in the morning to bring her bottles of tequila,’ one former staffer told the NY Mag.

Alcohol was not the only substance Mace allegedly used, with multiple staffers also noting her cannabis use, described by some as ‘excessive.’

Another staffer claims they were allegedly instructed by Mace to look up forums on the social media site Reddit that ranked the ‘hottest women in Congress’ and to raise her standing with comments and ‘upvotes.’

After the publication of the New York Magazine story, Mace took to social media to say that she has a gene that prevents her from drinking, an assertion that was rebuked by a number of her colleagues, as well as a slew of photos and videos she has posted on social media over the last few years. 

Mace is seen here in an undated photograph in a swimsuit and with a glass in her hand

On Sunday morning, the US military confirmed that three American servicemembers have been killed and five more wounded in the Operation, known as ‘Epic Fury.’

About 40 other members of Khamenei’s regime were killed alongside the Supreme Leader in the strike.

Iran’s supreme leader was killed in an attack on his compound that also left 40 top officials of the regime dead. A satellite image shows smoke rising from the compound following the attack

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that strikes in Iran would continue ‘as long as necessary.’ One of those strikes in Tehran is pictured from a video released by the Israeli Army on Sunday

Iran’s supreme leader was killed in an attack on his compound that also left 40 top officials of the regime dead. A satellite image shows smoke rising from the compound following the attack

The strike, which was carried out by joint US-Israel operations, took advantage of months of intelligence gathering by the CIA, which learned that a meeting of top Iranian officials would be taking place in Tehran, the country’s capital.

After the initial salvo of missiles, Iran swiftly retaliated and fired back at US bases in the Middle East, including in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, the UAE and Jordan.

The country also fired missiles at Israel, where the death toll near Jerusalem rose to at least eight as of Sunday morning.