Trump admin told congressional staff that intel suggested Iran wasn’t preparing to launch preemptive strike
The Trump administration officials briefed congressional staff on Sunday, revealing that U.S. intelligence did not indicate any imminent preemptive strike by Iran against U.S. interests. Instead, they emphasized a general threat posed by Iran’s missiles and proxy forces in the region. This information contradicted previous statements made by President Trump and the White House regarding the reasons for attacking Iran.
President Trump had previously claimed that the strikes were necessary to eliminate imminent threats from the Iranian regime. However, the intelligence shared with congressional staff suggested otherwise. Despite this, Trump defended the decision to launch the attack, citing the potential nuclear threat posed by Iran if negotiations had failed.
During a press briefing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth justified the attack as a response to years of Iranian aggression against the U.S. He stated that the U.S. did not initiate the conflict but was concluding it under President Trump’s leadership. Hegseth characterized the military action as retribution against the Iranian government and its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The U.S. and Israel jointly carried out the attack, resulting in the death of Ayatollah Khamenei in Tehran. This event marked a significant escalation in tensions between the two countries and raised concerns about the potential consequences of further military actions in the region. In a recent interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier, former President Donald Trump revealed that 49 senior leaders were killed in the initial strikes of the U.S.-Israel operation. The operation was launched in response to Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases, and Gulf nations.
The escalating conflict has already resulted in the deaths of at least four U.S. servicemembers, with military officials warning of additional casualties. General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged that more losses are expected as the military continues its major combat operations.
“We expect to take additional losses,” Gen. Caine stated during a briefing. “And, as always, we will work to minimize U.S. losses. But as the secretary said, this is major combat operations.” While he did not provide a specific timeline, Caine emphasized that achieving the military objectives will require time and sustained effort.
In a separate interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Trump boasted about the effectiveness of the U.S. military’s actions against Iran, claiming that they are “knocking the crap” out of the enemy. He also warned that a “big wave” of attacks is imminent, suggesting that the full force of the operation has yet to be unleashed.
“We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon,” Trump declared to Tapper, underscoring the escalating nature of the conflict.
CNN was the first to report on the details shared by the Trump administration with congressional staff, shedding light on the ongoing developments in the region.
As tensions continue to escalate and military operations intensify, the situation remains fluid and unpredictable. The impact of the conflict on regional stability and global security is a growing concern, with the potential for further escalation looming on the horizon.
–ABC News’ John Parkinson and Fritz Farrow contributed to this report.
