Trump's War with Iran Faces Growing Scrutiny Over Flawed Claims
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The Trump administration's case for war with Iran is facing growing scrutiny as officials and lawmakers question the accuracy of its claims about the regime's threats to its neighbors, U.S. troops, and the American homeland.
U.S. officials and lawmakers with access to classified information say the administration's assertions are incomplete, unsubstantiated, or flat-out wrong, with some accusing the administration of 'building the aircraft mid-flight.'
President Trump has claimed that the U.S. is running out of time to 'eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,' but some lawmakers and U.S. officials say there is no evidence to support his claim that Iran could rapidly develop a missile capable of striking the U.S.
The administration's explanations for the war have shifted over several weeks, with officials initially citing Iran's deadly crackdown on antiregime protesters, then focusing on dismantling Iran's nuclear and ballistic-missile programs through negotiations, and finally pointing to Iran's decadeslong aggression toward the U.S.
Senior administration officials have walked back their initial claim that Iran would launch a pre-emptive attack on its own, and instead say the concern is what Tehran would do if Israel launched an assault first.
The U.S. and Israeli operation wasn't aimed at regime change, but the Iranian regime 'sure did change,' said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who urged the Iranian people to 'take advantage of this incredible opportunity.'
