Trump admin told congressional staff that intel suggested Iran wasn't preparing to launch preemptive strike

[ad_1] Trump administration officers informed congressional workers in personal briefings on Sunday that U.S. intelligence didn't recommend Iran was making ready to launch a preemptive strike in opposition to america pursuits, 4 folks aware of the briefing informed ABC Information.

The officers mentioned there was extra of a basic risk within the area from Iran's missiles and proxy forces, sources informed ABC Information.

The intel shared with workers seems to contradict a few of President Donald Trump and the White Home's earlier statements about Iran and the reasoning for attacking the nation.

The president mentioned in his video tackle saying the strikes, "our goal is to defend the American folks by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime."

On a name with reporters this weekend, senior Trump administration officers mentioned there have been indicators that Iranians might launch a preemptive assault in opposition to U.S. forces and allies within the area.

Whereas Trump was assembly with army leaders this weekend, he spoke with ABC Information in regards to the basic risk from the Iranian regime.

"I believe there was a risk. Had we not accomplished Midnight Hammer, which was one of many best issues [this] nation has ever accomplished, we'd've been confronted with a nuclear weapon inside a month -- we'd have been confronted with a really highly effective nuclear weapon inside a month," Trump mentioned this weekend.

A plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, March 2, 2026.

Mohsen Ganji/AP

"After which they had been making an attempt to construct again --not there as a result of that space was obliterated, however they had been engaged on one other website regardless of the negotiations -- which at some factors had been going very properly," Trump continued. "However in the long run we did not suppose they had been going to get there [in terms of negotiations]. And they might've had in a reasonably quick time period some very pretty large nuclear capability and we weren't going to place up with that."

Throughout a press briefing Monday, Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned the assault was a response to Iranian aggression in opposition to the U.S. over plenty of years.

Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks throughout a press convention on US army motion in Iran, on the Pentagon in Washington, March 2, 2026.

Brendan Smialowski/AFP by way of Getty Photographs

"We did not begin this battle, however underneath President Trump, we're ending it. Their battle on People has change into our retribution in opposition to their Ayatollah and his demise cult," Hegseth mentioned. "It took the forty seventh president, a fighter who all the time places America first, to lastly draw the road after 47 years of Iranian belligerence."

The U.S. and Israel launched an assault on Israel on Saturday, killing Iranian Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. Trump informed Fox Information's Bret Baier on Monday that 49 senior leaders had been killed within the preliminary strikes.

Smoke plumes billow following Israeli bombardment on Beirut's southern suburbs, March 2, 2026.

Ibrahim Amro/AFP by way of Getty Photographs

Following the beginning of the U.S.-Israel operation, Iran launched retaliatory strikes with missile and drone assaults focusing on Israel, regional U.S. bases and Gulf nations.

The battle has resulted in at the least 4 deaths of U.S. servicemembers thus far, however army officers mentioned Monday extra deaths are anticipated.

"We count on to take further losses," Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees, mentioned throughout a briefing. "And, as all the time, we'll work to reduce U.S. losses. However because the secretary mentioned, that is main fight operations."

Caine didn't specify a timeline, however mentioned, "This isn't a single in a single day operation. The army goal ... will take a while to realize."

Trump informed CNN's Jake Tapper that the U.S. army is "knocking the crap" out of Iran -- however the "large wave" is but to come back.

"We have not even began hitting them exhausting. The massive wave hasn't even occurred. The massive one is coming quickly," Trump informed Tapper Monday morning.