Pentagon officials acknowledged that Iran was not planning an attack against U.S. forces in the lead-up to the U.S.-Israel "preemptive" strike that decapitated Iranian leadership and plunged the Middle East into war.
Also, U.S. Central Command confirmed that a fourth U.S. serviceman has been killed during the ongoing hostilities.
The U.S. and Israel began hitting targets throughout Iran this weekend. Trump has cited a myriad of reasons for the assault, including Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program. CNN reported that among the administration's justification for action was that Iran planned to launch missiles against U.S. bases in the region.
During a press briefing Monday morning, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth claimed, "We didn't start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it."
However, CNN reported that Pentagon briefers have told congressional staff members that no such attack was imminent. The briefers did point to Iran's ballistic missile program and proxy forces in the region, such as Hezbollah, but those were not new development and did not constitute an imminent threat.
The justification matters because critics have said Trump overstepped his power in launching a war against Iran. Under the U.S. Constitution, only Congress can declare war, and in the past, presidents have at least sought some sort of authorization from Congress. For example, before President George W. Bush launched the war against Iraq, Congress approved a resolution authorizing action in 2002.
Meanwhile, as of 7:30 a.m. EST, four U.S. service member have died.
"The fourth service member, who was seriously wounded during Iran's initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries. Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification," U.S. Central Command posted on X.
