Closed-door briefings to Congress contradict prior claims of an imminent Iranian attack.

U.S. administration officials told congressional staff in closed-door briefings that there was no intelligence indicating Iran was preparing to attack American forces first, according to two people familiar with the matter. The acknowledgment came one day after the United States and Israel launched large-scale military operations against Iran.

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Pentagon officials briefed Democratic and Republican staff from national security committees in both the Senate and House of Representatives for more than 90 minutes on Sunday, White House spokesperson Dylan Johnson said. During the sessions, officials emphasized that Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and regional proxy forces posed an imminent threat to U.S. interests. However, they did not present intelligence showing Tehran was planning an initial strike on U.S. forces.

The briefings appeared to undercut statements made a day earlier by senior administration officials. They had told reporters that President Donald Trump ordered the attacks in part because of indicators that Iran might strike U.S. forces in the Middle East “perhaps preemptively.” One official said Trump was not prepared to “sit back and allow American forces in the region to absorb attacks.”

The military campaign began Saturday and is expected to continue for weeks. U.S. aircraft and warships have struck more than 1,000 Iranian targets since major combat operations were launched, according to the military. The strikes include B-2 stealth bombers deploying 2,000-pound bombs against hardened underground missile facilities. Officials have described the operation as the most ambitious U.S. and Israeli assault on Iran in decades.

Trump said the objective of the campaign is to ensure Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon, contain its missile program and eliminate threats to the United States and its allies. He has also urged Iranians to rise up and topple their government.

Democratic lawmakers have criticized the operation as a “war of choice” and questioned the administration’s decision to abandon peace talks that mediator Oman had said still showed promise. Trump has argued, without presenting evidence, that Iran was nearing the capability to strike the United States with a ballistic missile. Sources familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments told Reuters that this claim was not supported by available reports and appeared to be exaggerated.

As scrutiny over the war’s justification grows, the U.S. military confirmed its first casualties. U.S. Central Command reported that three American troops were killed and five seriously wounded. Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Sunday found that 27 percent of Americans approved of the strikes, while 43 percent disapproved and 29 percent said they were unsure.

The disclosures to Congress are likely to intensify debate in Washington as the conflict continues.

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