Trump admin warned lawmakers Israel was 'determined to act with or without us' before massive Iran strikes
What's the endgame here?
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., described the recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as a defensive measure, saying, "Israel was determined to act with or without us" following a classified briefing on Monday evening.
Johnson told reporters after the briefing that Israel viewed Iran’s capabilities as an existential threat and was prepared to conduct operations regardless of U.S. participation. He said Israel’s assessment shaped American deliberations, and it was "determined to act in their own defense here, with or without American support."
The speaker said administration officials had to weigh risks to U.S. forces, regional assets and interests before supporting the operation.
"They had to evaluate the threats to the U.S., to our troops, to our installations, to our assets in the region and beyond. And they determined, because of the intelligence that we had, that a coordinated response was necessary," Johnson said.
Johnson said he guarantees that if the U.S. had not acted, the Trump administration would have been hauled in by Congress and asked why they waited if they had "existential intelligence, knowing that that would happen."
EX-CIA CHIEF WARNS NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE IRAN’S RESPONSE AFTER OPERATION EPIC FURY EXPOSED REGIME ‘ARROGANCE’
"I am convinced that they did the right thing," he said.
Rubio confirmed that Israel was prepared to act against Iran and said the president "made a very wise decision."
"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces," he told reporters. "And we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties."
FIRES RAGE AT IRAN'S BANDAR ABBAS NAVAL HEADQUARTERS, STRAIT OF HORMUZ TRAFFIC STALLED
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., a top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, emerged from the briefing and said he did not believe there was an "imminent threat" prior to Saturday’s strikes.
"There was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians. It was a threat to Israel," he said. "We equate a threat to Israel is the equivalent of an imminent threat to the United States. Then we are in uncharted territory."
"We have seen the goals for this operation change now, I believe 4 or 5 times," he went on.
US SURGES FORCES TO MIDDLE EAST AS PENTAGON WARNS IRAN FIGHT ‘WILL TAKE SOME TIME'
Rubio insisted the operation was not about Iranian regime change but about taking out its capabilities as a threat to the region - focused on ballistic missiles and naval capacity.
He did not say …
What's the endgame here?
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., described the recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as a defensive measure, saying, "Israel was determined to act with or without us" following a classified briefing on Monday evening.
Johnson told reporters after the briefing that Israel viewed Iran’s capabilities as an existential threat and was prepared to conduct operations regardless of U.S. participation. He said Israel’s assessment shaped American deliberations, and it was "determined to act in their own defense here, with or without American support."
The speaker said administration officials had to weigh risks to U.S. forces, regional assets and interests before supporting the operation.
"They had to evaluate the threats to the U.S., to our troops, to our installations, to our assets in the region and beyond. And they determined, because of the intelligence that we had, that a coordinated response was necessary," Johnson said.
Johnson said he guarantees that if the U.S. had not acted, the Trump administration would have been hauled in by Congress and asked why they waited if they had "existential intelligence, knowing that that would happen."
EX-CIA CHIEF WARNS NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE IRAN’S RESPONSE AFTER OPERATION EPIC FURY EXPOSED REGIME ‘ARROGANCE’
"I am convinced that they did the right thing," he said.
Rubio confirmed that Israel was prepared to act against Iran and said the president "made a very wise decision."
"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces," he told reporters. "And we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties."
FIRES RAGE AT IRAN'S BANDAR ABBAS NAVAL HEADQUARTERS, STRAIT OF HORMUZ TRAFFIC STALLED
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., a top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, emerged from the briefing and said he did not believe there was an "imminent threat" prior to Saturday’s strikes.
"There was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians. It was a threat to Israel," he said. "We equate a threat to Israel is the equivalent of an imminent threat to the United States. Then we are in uncharted territory."
"We have seen the goals for this operation change now, I believe 4 or 5 times," he went on.
US SURGES FORCES TO MIDDLE EAST AS PENTAGON WARNS IRAN FIGHT ‘WILL TAKE SOME TIME'
Rubio insisted the operation was not about Iranian regime change but about taking out its capabilities as a threat to the region - focused on ballistic missiles and naval capacity.
He did not say …
Trump admin warned lawmakers Israel was 'determined to act with or without us' before massive Iran strikes
What's the endgame here?
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., described the recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as a defensive measure, saying, "Israel was determined to act with or without us" following a classified briefing on Monday evening.
Johnson told reporters after the briefing that Israel viewed Iran’s capabilities as an existential threat and was prepared to conduct operations regardless of U.S. participation. He said Israel’s assessment shaped American deliberations, and it was "determined to act in their own defense here, with or without American support."
The speaker said administration officials had to weigh risks to U.S. forces, regional assets and interests before supporting the operation.
"They had to evaluate the threats to the U.S., to our troops, to our installations, to our assets in the region and beyond. And they determined, because of the intelligence that we had, that a coordinated response was necessary," Johnson said.
Johnson said he guarantees that if the U.S. had not acted, the Trump administration would have been hauled in by Congress and asked why they waited if they had "existential intelligence, knowing that that would happen."
EX-CIA CHIEF WARNS NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE IRAN’S RESPONSE AFTER OPERATION EPIC FURY EXPOSED REGIME ‘ARROGANCE’
"I am convinced that they did the right thing," he said.
Rubio confirmed that Israel was prepared to act against Iran and said the president "made a very wise decision."
"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces," he told reporters. "And we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties."
FIRES RAGE AT IRAN'S BANDAR ABBAS NAVAL HEADQUARTERS, STRAIT OF HORMUZ TRAFFIC STALLED
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., a top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, emerged from the briefing and said he did not believe there was an "imminent threat" prior to Saturday’s strikes.
"There was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians. It was a threat to Israel," he said. "We equate a threat to Israel is the equivalent of an imminent threat to the United States. Then we are in uncharted territory."
"We have seen the goals for this operation change now, I believe 4 or 5 times," he went on.
US SURGES FORCES TO MIDDLE EAST AS PENTAGON WARNS IRAN FIGHT ‘WILL TAKE SOME TIME'
Rubio insisted the operation was not about Iranian regime change but about taking out its capabilities as a threat to the region - focused on ballistic missiles and naval capacity.
He did not say …
