Defense Officials Tell Congress Iran Posed No Direct Attack Threat to US Forces

Pentagon briefings to congressional staff revealed no intelligence indicating Iran planned to strike American forces first, contradicting earlier administration claims. The acknowledgment comes as major US military operations against Iran continue, resulting in the first American casualties of the conflict.

Defense Department officials disclosed during private congressional briefings Sunday that intelligence showed no evidence Iran intended to launch initial attacks against American military personnel, according to two sources with knowledge of the discussions.

The weekend briefings appear to contradict justifications previously offered by the Trump administration for launching extensive military operations against Iran on Saturday. These strikes, conducted alongside Israeli forces, have targeted over 1,000 locations and resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the destruction of Iranian naval vessels.

Administration representatives had told media outlets Friday that President Trump authorized the military action partly due to intelligence suggesting Iranian forces might conduct strikes against US personnel in the Middle East region.

One official stated Trump refused to “sit back and allow American forces in the region to absorb attacks.”

The Pentagon conducted briefings lasting more than 90 minutes with both Democratic and Republican committee staff from the Senate and House of Representatives, according to White House spokesperson Dylan Johnson.

During these sessions, defense officials stressed that Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and regional proxy networks created immediate dangers to American interests, though they confirmed no intelligence existed showing Tehran would initiate hostilities against US forces, the anonymous sources revealed.

Trump has stated the ongoing military campaign, expected to continue for several weeks, seeks to prevent Iranian nuclear weapons development, limit their missile programs, and remove threats facing America and allied nations. The president has also called for Iranian citizens to overthrow their government.

Democratic lawmakers have criticized what they characterize as an unnecessary conflict, questioning Trump’s decision to abandon diplomatic negotiations that Oman, serving as mediator, indicated still showed potential for success.

The president has claimed, without providing supporting evidence, that Iran was close to developing intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities to strike American territory. Intelligence sources have told reporters this assertion lacks backing from official assessments and appears overstated.

These questions about military justification emerge as the Pentagon announced the conflict’s first American casualties Sunday.

US Central Command reported three service members killed and five seriously injured, with additional personnel suffering minor shrapnel wounds and concussions.

American aircraft and naval vessels have hit more than 1,000 Iranian targets since major combat operations began, military officials confirmed. The strikes included B-2 stealth bomber missions using 2,000-pound bombs against fortified underground missile installations.

A Sunday Reuters/Ipsos survey found 27% of Americans support the military strikes, while 43% oppose them and 29% remain undecided.