Pentagon briefers have told congressional staff that Iran had no plans to preemptively strike U.S. forces or bases in the region, according to multiple sources including CNN and Politico. The bombshell admission came during a private briefing on Sunday, directly contradicting President Donald Trump's justification for the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

White House officials had claimed on Saturday that the U.S. chose to attack Iran because it had received indications of planned missile attacks against U.S. bases. However, briefers acknowledged that Iran's ballistic missile program and proxy forces have posed threats for years, which doesn't explain the urgency of Saturday's strikes. Sources who spoke to CNN noted that briefers provided no evidence of an imminent attack.

This revelation raises serious questions about the administration's decision-making process and intelligence assessments. Trump had claimed Iran was developing missiles that could reach the American homeland, but a recent U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessment found Iran was years away from possessing intercontinental ballistic missiles. The briefing also failed to provide clarity on what would happen in Iran following the strikes, leaving Congress and the public without answers about the administration's long-term strategy.