The US Department of Defense informed Congress that it found no clear evidence Iran had planned a preemptive strike against the United States before the recent joint US-Israel attack. According to a Reuters report, Pentagon officials told congressional staff in a closed-door meeting that Iran’s ballistic missile program and allied forces were viewed as immediate threats to US interests. However, they acknowledged that there was no specific intelligence indicating Tehran had planned to attack US forces in advance.

The report noted that officials from the Trump administration had previously claimed there were signs Iran might carry out a preemptive strike. The new Pentagon assessment has raised questions about the validity of those earlier claims.

The disclosure adds a new dimension to ongoing debates in Washington about the accuracy of intelligence assessments and the justification for military actions involving Iran.