When the US and Israel launched joint military strikes against Iran on 28 February, President Donald Trump told the American people that the action was necessary — that Iran was on the verge of a nuclear weapon and building ballistic missiles that could soon reach the United States. Senior administration officials echoed those warnings, briefing reporters under anonymity that the threat from Tehran had become 'an intolerable risk.'
But within hours of the strikes, which killed at least 201 people and wounded 747, figures not independently confirmed by American or international authorities, a chorus of national security analysts, arms control experts and former government officials were already picking those justifications apart. Their conclusion, drawn from intelligence assessments and decades of research, was stark: the White House had leant heavily on claims that were either wrong or greatly exaggerated.
