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Trump medication officials acknowledged successful closed-door briefings with legislature unit connected Sunday (March 1, 2026) that determination was nary quality suggesting Iran planned to onslaught U.S. forces first, 2 radical acquainted with the substance said.
The United States and Israel launched their astir ambitious attacks connected Iran successful decades connected Saturday (February 28, 2026), killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sinking Iranian warships and hitting much than 1,000 targets truthful far, officials say.
But Sunday’s (March 1, 2026) remarks to Congress appeared to undercut 1 of the cardinal arguments for the warfare made by elder medication officials.
They told reporters the time earlier that President Donald Trump decided to motorboat the attacks successful portion due to the fact that of indicators that Iranians mightiness onslaught U.S. forces successful West Asia “perhaps preemptively.”
Mr. Trump, 1 of the officials said, was not going to “sit backmost and let American forces successful the portion to sorb attacks.”
Pentagon briefings lasted much than 90 minutes
Pentagon officials briefed Democratic and Republican unit of respective nationalist security committees successful some the Senate and the House of Representatives for much than 90 minutes connected the unfolding U.S. onslaught successful Iran, White House spokesperson Dylan Johnson said earlier.
In the briefings, medication officials emphasized that Iran’s ballistic missiles and proxy forces successful the portion posed an imminent threat to U.S. interests, but determination was nary quality astir Tehran attacking U.S. forces first, the 2 sources, speaking connected information of anonymity, told Reuters.
Mr. Trump said the attack, which is expected to tally for weeks, aimed to guarantee Iran could not person a atomic weapon, incorporate its rocket programme and destruct threats to the United States and its allies.
He has urged Iranians to emergence up and topple the government.
Democrats criticise ‘War of Choice’
Still, Democrats person accused Mr. Trump of waging a warfare of prime and person taken purpose astatine his arguments for abandoning bid talks that mediator Oman said inactive held promise.
Mr. Trump has argued, without presenting evidence, that Iran was connected way to soon unafraid the quality to onslaught the United States with a ballistic missile.
His rocket assertion was not backed by U.S. quality reports and appeared to beryllium exaggerated, sources acquainted with the reports person told Reuters.
Questions astir the justification for the war travel arsenic the U.S. subject revealed connected Sunday the archetypal American casualties of the conflict.
Three U.S. troops killed, 5 wounded
Three U.S. troops were killed, and 5 earnestly wounded, U.S. Central Command said connected Sunday (March 1, 2026), adding that respective other U.S. troops suffered insignificant shrapnel injuries and concussions.
U.S. craft and warships person struck much than 1,000 Iranian targets since Trump ordered the commencement of major combat operations, the subject said.
The strikes see B-2 stealth bombers dropping 2,000-lb (900-kg) bombs connected hardened, underground Iranian rocket facilities.
A Reuters/Ipsos canvass connected Sunday showed 27% of Americans approved of the strikes, portion 43% disapproved and 29% were not sure.
