Guwahati: Senior officials in the Pentagon told congressional staff in closed-door briefings on Sunday that there was no intelligence indicating Iran was preparing to strike U.S. forces first, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
The disclosure appeared to undercut a central argument advanced by the Trump administration to justify the launch of large-scale military operations against Iran.
On Saturday, the United States, in coordination with Israel, initiated one of the most extensive military offensives against Iran in decades. U.S. officials said the campaign has so far targeted more than 1,000 sites, including missile facilities and naval assets. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reported killed in the strikes, along with the destruction of multiple Iranian warships.
Ahead of the operation, senior administration officials had told reporters that President Donald Trump acted in part due to indicators suggesting Iran might launch a preemptive attack on U.S. forces in the Middle East. One official had said Trump would not “sit back and allow American forces in the region to absorb attacks.”
However, during the 90-minute briefings to Democratic and Republican staff of national security committees in both chambers of Congress, officials emphasized that while Iran’s ballistic missile programme and regional proxy forces posed an imminent threat to U.S. interests, there was no intelligence showing Tehran was preparing an immediate first strike against American troops, the sources said.
White House spokesperson Dylan Johnson earlier confirmed that Pentagon officials had briefed lawmakers on the ongoing military campaign.
Trump has maintained that the objective of the strikes — expected to continue for weeks is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, curb its missile capabilities and eliminate threats to the United States and its allies. He has also publicly urged the Iranian people to rise up against their government.
Democrats have criticised the move as a “war of choice,” questioning the administration’s decision to abandon diplomatic efforts. Oman, which had been mediating talks, said negotiations still held promise before hostilities escalated.
Trump has also asserted, without presenting public evidence, that Iran was nearing the capability to strike the United States with a ballistic missile. Sources familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments told Reuters that this claim was not supported by available intelligence and appeared overstated.
The debate over the war’s justification intensified as the U.S. military confirmed the first American casualties of the conflict. U.S. Central Command said on Sunday that three U.S. troops were killed and five seriously wounded. Several others sustained minor injuries, including shrapnel wounds and concussions.
According to the military, U.S. aircraft and naval forces have carried out more than 1,000 strikes since the start of major combat operations. The attacks include the deployment of B-2 stealth bombers dropping 2,000-pound bombs on fortified underground missile installations.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Sunday found that 27% of Americans approved of the strikes, while 43% disapproved and 29% remained uncertain.
With military operations ongoing and political divisions sharpening in Washington, questions persist over the intelligence assessments and strategic objectives underpinning the expanding conflict.