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President Donald Trump was warned that attacking Iran could trigger retaliation against U.S. Gulf allies contempt his claims connected Monday (March 16, 2026) that Tehran’s absorption came arsenic a surprise, said a U.S. authoritative and 2 sources acquainted with U.S. quality reports.
Pre-war quality assessments did not accidental that Iran’s effect was “a guarantee, but it surely was connected the database of imaginable outcomes,” said 1 source, who similar the different 2 requested anonymity to sermon the issue.
Iran-Israel warfare LIVE - March 17, 2026
The president doubly connected Monday (March 16, 2026) said that Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait were a surprise, the archetypal clip astatine a Kennedy Center committee gathering successful the White House.
“They (Iran) weren’t expected to spell aft all these different countries successful the Middle East,” helium said. “Nobody expected that. We were shocked.” Mr. Trump’s assertion followed other medication claims that person not been backed by U.S. quality reporting, specified as that Iran would soon person a rocket susceptible of hitting the U.S. homeland and that it would request 2 to 4 weeks to marque a atomic weaponry and would past usage it.
Those allegations and an imminent menace posed by Iran to the U.S. and its forces successful the portion person been among varying reasons that Trump and immoderate apical aides person fixed to warrant his determination to articulation Israel successful launching their aerial warfare against Iran connected February 28.
Mr. Trump was besides briefed up of the cognition that Tehran would apt question to adjacent the economically captious Strait of Hormuz, according to 2 different sources acquainted with the matter.
Over the past 2 weeks, Iranian drones and missiles person struck targets successful the Gulf nations that person included U.S. subject bases and an Emirates basal hosting French troops, civilian structures, including hotels, airports, and vigor facilities. Iran has besides halted astir each shipping done the Strait of Hormuz, done which 20% of lipid supplies move, causing planetary vigor prices to spike.
Democratic lawmakers emerged from medication briefings connected the warfare past week saying they heard of nary imminent menace that required the U.S. and Israel to motorboat the war.
The White House did not instantly respond to a petition for comment. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment.
Warnings of a determination war
The U.S. authoritative said that Mr. Trump was briefed earlier the warfare that striking Iran could trigger a broader determination struggle that would see Iranian retaliation against Gulf capitals, particularly if Tehran saw those countries condoning oregon actively supporting the U.S. attacks.
Mr. Trump repeated his assertion aboriginal connected Monday (March 16, 2026) during a signing lawsuit successful the Oval Office. He was asked if helium was amazed that cipher had briefed him astir that hazard that Iran would onslaught backmost astatine the Gulf states.
“Nobody, nobody, no, no, no. The top experts, cipher thought they were going to hit,” replied Mr. Trump.
The 2nd root familiar with the substance said that earlier the U.S.-Israeli attacks, the U.S. quality assemblage assessed that Israel’s program to motorboat strikes aimed astatine sidesplitting apical Iranian leaders apt would effect in retaliation against U.S. subject and diplomatic outposts.
The medication did not bid departures of diplomatic unit from respective determination embassies until aft the aerial strikes began.
The assemblage besides warned that Iran “could” widen its retaliation to American allies successful the region, the root said.
