US administration officials acknowledged in closed-door briefings with congressional staff that there was no intelligence suggesting Iran planned to attack United States forces first. Two days after launching their most ambitious attacks on Iran since decades, the US and Israel have carried out a series of strikes targeting the regime’s leadership and military infrastructure.
The Pentagon briefed Senate and House national security committees for nearly two hours, emphasizing that while Iranian ballistic missiles and proxies posed an imminent threat to US interests in the Middle East, there was no intelligence indicating Tehran would attack US forces preemptively. These clarifications appear to contradict one of the key arguments made by senior administration officials before launching the strikes.
US President Donald Trump, according to those briefed, launched the attacks due to indications that Iran might retaliate against American forces “perhaps preemptively.” The White House spokesperson, Dylan Johnson, confirmed these briefings with congressional staff.
In his speech after the attack, Trump stated the objective was to ensure Iran could not possess a nuclear weapon, curb its missile program, and eliminate threats to the US and its allies. He urged Iranians to rise up against their government.
Democrats have criticized the administration’s decision as one of war by choice, while disputing arguments that peace talks are abandoned due to supposed Iranian progress on a nuclear weapon. The President has made claims about Iran being close to obtaining such weapons without presenting evidence, contradicting reports from US intelligence agencies.
Questions regarding the war’s justification emerged as the US military announced its first casualties, with 27 percent of Americans supporting the strikes and nearly half opposing them outright.