Trump Accidentally Reveals His Iran War Wasn’t Necessary
Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling
Mon, March 2, 2026
NEW REPUBLIC
Iran had to be attacked because the U.S. was “very nearly under threat” by its advanced weapons systems, according to the president.
Addressing the war for the first time during a Medal of Honor ceremony on Monday, Donald Trump claimed that Iran’s “pursuit of nuclear weapons” posed an immediate threat to the American public—even though he declared last year that his June attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities had “completely and totally obliterated” the country’s nuclear program.
“The United States military continues to carry out large-scale combat operations in Iran to eliminate the grave threats posed to America by this terrible, terrorist regime,” Trump said Monday.
“In addition, the regime’s conventional ballistic missile program was growing rapidly and dramatically, and this posed a very clear, colossal threat to America and our forces stationed overseas. The regime already had missiles capable of hitting Europe and our bases, both local and overseas, and would soon have had missiles capable of reaching our beautiful America.
“An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people,” Trump continued. “Our country itself would be under threat, and it was very nearly under threat.”
So far, four American soldiers have been killed in the conflict, as have more than 20 Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump has yet to formally speak to the American people about the war—a major departure from his predecessors, who almost universally recognized the need to justify the need for military intervention with an immediate speech to the public. Woodrow Wilson did so the same day he asked Congress to declare war against Germany during World War I, while Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a national address hours before the country declared war during World War II.
Even Harry Truman, who proceeded with the Korean War without the authorization of Congress—much like Trump—delivered a radio address to the American public shortly after he ordered U.S. air and naval forces to assist South Korea.
The current Middle East mobilization is the Trump administration’s second attempt to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, which the White House has claimed is for weapons development. The first attack took place on June 22.
At the time, Trump celebrated that the strike had eviscerated Iran’s nuclear program, publicly rejecting a battle damage assessment by the Pentagon that determined that the impact of the missile barrage on the larger program was minimal and had only set Iran’s nuclear program back by a few months. The White House has thus far failed to explain the discrepancy, or why it needs to spend more taxpayer funds attacking a site that purportedly has already been demolished.
Before the June attack, Iran had argued that it was seeking uranium for peaceful purposes, such as expanding its nuclear energy program. The nation has undergone years of nuclear site inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and mere weeks before the U.S. bomb strike had allowed the agency’s inspectors to remain in the country, according to the U.N. entity.
Trump scrapped a potential nuclear deal with Iran during his first term, pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in May 2018.
Iran had to be attacked because the U.S. was “very nearly under threat” by its advanced weapons systems, according to the president.
Addressing the war for the first time during a Medal of Honor ceremony on Monday, Donald Trump claimed that Iran’s “pursuit of nuclear weapons” posed an immediate threat to the American public—even though he declared last year that his June attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities had “completely and totally obliterated” the country’s nuclear program.
“The United States military continues to carry out large-scale combat operations in Iran to eliminate the grave threats posed to America by this terrible, terrorist regime,” Trump said Monday.
“In addition, the regime’s conventional ballistic missile program was growing rapidly and dramatically, and this posed a very clear, colossal threat to America and our forces stationed overseas. The regime already had missiles capable of hitting Europe and our bases, both local and overseas, and would soon have had missiles capable of reaching our beautiful America.
“An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people,” Trump continued. “Our country itself would be under threat, and it was very nearly under threat.”
So far, four American soldiers have been killed in the conflict, as have more than 20 Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump has yet to formally speak to the American people about the war—a major departure from his predecessors, who almost universally recognized the need to justify the need for military intervention with an immediate speech to the public. Woodrow Wilson did so the same day he asked Congress to declare war against Germany during World War I, while Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a national address hours before the country declared war during World War II.
Even Harry Truman, who proceeded with the Korean War without the authorization of Congress—much like Trump—delivered a radio address to the American public shortly after he ordered U.S. air and naval forces to assist South Korea.
The current Middle East mobilization is the Trump administration’s second attempt to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, which the White House has claimed is for weapons development. The first attack took place on June 22.
At the time, Trump celebrated that the strike had eviscerated Iran’s nuclear program, publicly rejecting a battle damage assessment by the Pentagon that determined that the impact of the missile barrage on the larger program was minimal and had only set Iran’s nuclear program back by a few months. The White House has thus far failed to explain the discrepancy, or why it needs to spend more taxpayer funds attacking a site that purportedly has already been demolished.
Before the June attack, Iran had argued that it was seeking uranium for peaceful purposes, such as expanding its nuclear energy program. The nation has undergone years of nuclear site inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and mere weeks before the U.S. bomb strike had allowed the agency’s inspectors to remain in the country, according to the U.N. entity.
Trump scrapped a potential nuclear deal with Iran during his first term, pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in May 2018.
GOP Rep Exposes Real Reason for Trump’s War
Laura Esposito
Sun, March 1, 2026
Massie and his Democrat ally Ro Khanna have emerged as fierce opposition to Trump, especially amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. / Alex Wong / Getty Images
Massie has also been a thorn in Trump’s side ahead of the president’s military action in Iran.
“Congress must vote on war according to our Constitution,” the congressman wrote on X on Feb. 19. He said he and Khanna “will be forcing that vote to happen in the House as soon as possible. I will vote to put America first which means voting against more war in the Middle East.”
Trump launched his war from a hastily constructed space in Mar-a-Lago with (left) John Ratcliffe, the Director of the CIA, (fourth from right) Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and (second from right), Dan Scavino, his golf caddy turned aide. / White House / XMore
Massie and Khanna are expected to bring forward a vote next week aimed at curbing Trump’s military action without congressional approval.
That effort did not deter the president’s major attack Saturday morning, which reportedly included a direct hit on the Shajareye Tayabeh girls’ school in Minab, Hormozgan Province, killing at least 43 students and wounding 63 others, according to the Iranian state news agency Islamic Republic News Agency.
Early Saturday morning, Massie again took to X to voice his disapproval.
Thomas Massie's X post included credible reporting about the attack from the Associated Press. / Screenshot/X / X
“Acts of war unauthorized by Congress,” Massie wrote in an X post, linking an Associated Press article titled “U.S. and Israel launch a major attack on Iran, and Trump urges Iranians to take over.”
In a separate post, he slammed Trump’s military action as the opposite of “America First.”
“I am opposed to this War,” he wrote in a post viewed 4.2 million times at the time of publication. “This is not ‘America First.’”
Trump announced the strike on Iran sans tie and wearing a Trucker hat in the early hours of Saturday morning. / US President Trump Via Truth Social/Anadolu via Getty Images
Massie continued: “When Congress reconvenes, I will work with [Rho Khanna] to force a Congressional vote on war with Iran. The Constitution requires a vote, and your Representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.”
The president has repeatedly referred to Massie as a “loser” and a “moron” and is backing his primary opponent, Ed Gallrein, in the race for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House and to Massie’s representatives for comment.
Laura Esposito
Sun, March 1, 2026
THE DAILY BEAST
Photo Illustration by Eric Faison/The Daily Beast/Getty Images
Donald Trump’s Republican foe believes the president’s military operation in Iran has ulterior motives.
Rep. Thomas Massie issued a pointed reminder on Sunday that war won’t distract him from his push to force the Department of Justice to release all documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
“PSA: Bombing a country on the other side of the globe won’t make the Epstein files go away, any more than the Dow going above 50,000 will,” the Kentucky libertarian wrote on X.
Rep. Thomas Massie vowed he won't be distracted from Jeffrey Epstein. / Screenshot/X / X
Massie is one of several Trump critics who have accused the president of staging foreign policy crises and other White House controversies to deflect scrutiny from his historic relationship with Epstein, particularly as new Justice Department documents related to the late sex trafficker’s crimes are released.
In January, critics also alleged that the administration’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro served as a temporary reprieve from bipartisan pressure surrounding Trump’s ties to Epstein, who once described himself as Trump’s “closest friend.”
Massie and his Democratic ally, Rep. Ro Khanna, spearheaded the Epstein Files Transparency Act—which Trump begrudgingly signed into law—directing the Department of Justice to release all files connected to Epstein, who died in 2019, by Dec. 19, 2025.
The DOJ has released more than 3 million files related to Epstein, though another 3 million remain withheld for various reasons.
Photo Illustration by Eric Faison/The Daily Beast/Getty Images
Donald Trump’s Republican foe believes the president’s military operation in Iran has ulterior motives.
Rep. Thomas Massie issued a pointed reminder on Sunday that war won’t distract him from his push to force the Department of Justice to release all documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
“PSA: Bombing a country on the other side of the globe won’t make the Epstein files go away, any more than the Dow going above 50,000 will,” the Kentucky libertarian wrote on X.
Rep. Thomas Massie vowed he won't be distracted from Jeffrey Epstein. / Screenshot/X / X
Massie is one of several Trump critics who have accused the president of staging foreign policy crises and other White House controversies to deflect scrutiny from his historic relationship with Epstein, particularly as new Justice Department documents related to the late sex trafficker’s crimes are released.
In January, critics also alleged that the administration’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro served as a temporary reprieve from bipartisan pressure surrounding Trump’s ties to Epstein, who once described himself as Trump’s “closest friend.”
Massie and his Democratic ally, Rep. Ro Khanna, spearheaded the Epstein Files Transparency Act—which Trump begrudgingly signed into law—directing the Department of Justice to release all files connected to Epstein, who died in 2019, by Dec. 19, 2025.
The DOJ has released more than 3 million files related to Epstein, though another 3 million remain withheld for various reasons.
Massie and his Democrat ally Ro Khanna have emerged as fierce opposition to Trump, especially amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. / Alex Wong / Getty Images
Massie has also been a thorn in Trump’s side ahead of the president’s military action in Iran.
“Congress must vote on war according to our Constitution,” the congressman wrote on X on Feb. 19. He said he and Khanna “will be forcing that vote to happen in the House as soon as possible. I will vote to put America first which means voting against more war in the Middle East.”
Trump launched his war from a hastily constructed space in Mar-a-Lago with (left) John Ratcliffe, the Director of the CIA, (fourth from right) Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and (second from right), Dan Scavino, his golf caddy turned aide. / White House / XMore
Massie and Khanna are expected to bring forward a vote next week aimed at curbing Trump’s military action without congressional approval.
That effort did not deter the president’s major attack Saturday morning, which reportedly included a direct hit on the Shajareye Tayabeh girls’ school in Minab, Hormozgan Province, killing at least 43 students and wounding 63 others, according to the Iranian state news agency Islamic Republic News Agency.
Early Saturday morning, Massie again took to X to voice his disapproval.
Thomas Massie's X post included credible reporting about the attack from the Associated Press. / Screenshot/X / X
“Acts of war unauthorized by Congress,” Massie wrote in an X post, linking an Associated Press article titled “U.S. and Israel launch a major attack on Iran, and Trump urges Iranians to take over.”
In a separate post, he slammed Trump’s military action as the opposite of “America First.”
“I am opposed to this War,” he wrote in a post viewed 4.2 million times at the time of publication. “This is not ‘America First.’”
Trump announced the strike on Iran sans tie and wearing a Trucker hat in the early hours of Saturday morning. / US President Trump Via Truth Social/Anadolu via Getty Images
Massie continued: “When Congress reconvenes, I will work with [Rho Khanna] to force a Congressional vote on war with Iran. The Constitution requires a vote, and your Representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.”
The president has repeatedly referred to Massie as a “loser” and a “moron” and is backing his primary opponent, Ed Gallrein, in the race for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House and to Massie’s representatives for comment.
Bombshell Pentagon Admission Wrecks Trump’s War Claims
Catherine Bouris
Sun, March 1, 2026
Pentagon briefers have told congressional staff that Iran had no plans to preemptively strike U.S. forces or bases in the region.
The bombshell admission came at a private briefing on Sunday, CNN reports, citing multiple sources. Politico also cited two people who attended the briefing who said that no clear evidence of an imminent attack by Iran was presented, while the Associated Press cited three people familiar with the briefing.
The revelation undercuts President Donald Trump’s justification of the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on the country.
White House officials had claimed on Saturday that the U.S. chose to attack Iran because it had received indications that the country was planning to launch missile attacks against U.S. bases, according to CNN.
In addition, in his announcement of the strikes, Trump claimed the Iranian regime was building missiles that “could soon reach the American homeland.” An assessment from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency published last year found that Iran was years away from possessing the intercontinental ballistic missiles required to launch attacks on the U.S. At present, there is no intelligence to suggest that Iran was working on an ICBM program at the time of the strikes, according to the assessment.
Three sources also confirmed to CNN that the nation was not interested in establishing one, a claim echoed by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi last week.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told CNN on Saturday, “President Trump is absolutely right to highlight the grave concern posed by Iran, a country that chants ‘death to America,’ possessing intercontinental ballistic missiles.”
The Pentagon briefers on Sunday cited Iran’s ballistic missile program and proxy forces as evidence the country posed a threat to the U.S., but sources who spoke to CNN noted that this has been true for years and does not explain the supposed urgency of Saturday’s strikes.
However, the briefers acknowledged that “there was no indication that Iran was preparing to preemptively strike U.S. bases in the region in anticipation of some sort of attacks from American-Israeli forces,” senior CNN reporter Zach Cohen said.
Sources who spoke to the Associated Press said that the briefers did not provide any clarity on what would happen in Iran following the strikes.
Donald Trump waves after landing aboard Air Force One on Sunday at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. / Roberto Schmidt / Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images
The news raises “more questions still, as the president has… we haven‘t heard from him about his reasoning, his justification and his plan going forward as this military operation continues,” Cohen told host Kaitlan Collins.
White House spokesperson Dylan Johnson told CNN in response that the Pentagon had “briefed the bipartisan staffs of several national security committees in both chambers for over 90 minutes on the military action in Iran.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the Department of Defense and White House for comment. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to appear before the media on Monday morning to provide an update.
‘I Don’t Understand the Confusion’: Marco Rubio Slams Media for Questioning Reason for Iran Operation
Despite dubbing himself the “Peace President” and promising “no new wars,” Trump launched a wave of missile attacks on Iran early Saturday morning before announcing that the U.S. had begun “major combat operations.”
The strikes, conducted in conjunction with Israel, ultimately resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompting Iran to launch a series of retaliatory strikes on U.S. bases and allies around the Middle East.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a strike on Saturday. / Iranian Leader's Press Office - Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty
Responding to the news that three U.S. soldiers have already died since Saturday, Trump admitted that there would “likely be more.”
“As one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives,” Trump said on Sunday afternoon.
“Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.” The president also told The New York Times on Sunday that projections from the Pentagon suggest U.S. casualties could be “quite a bit higher” than what has already been seen.
According to an X post from U.S. Central Command made late Sunday, U.S. strikes in the region conducted as part of “Operation Epic Fury” continue.
Catherine Bouris
Sun, March 1, 2026
THE DAILY BEAST
Pentagon briefers have told congressional staff that Iran had no plans to preemptively strike U.S. forces or bases in the region.
The bombshell admission came at a private briefing on Sunday, CNN reports, citing multiple sources. Politico also cited two people who attended the briefing who said that no clear evidence of an imminent attack by Iran was presented, while the Associated Press cited three people familiar with the briefing.
The revelation undercuts President Donald Trump’s justification of the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on the country.
White House officials had claimed on Saturday that the U.S. chose to attack Iran because it had received indications that the country was planning to launch missile attacks against U.S. bases, according to CNN.
In addition, in his announcement of the strikes, Trump claimed the Iranian regime was building missiles that “could soon reach the American homeland.” An assessment from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency published last year found that Iran was years away from possessing the intercontinental ballistic missiles required to launch attacks on the U.S. At present, there is no intelligence to suggest that Iran was working on an ICBM program at the time of the strikes, according to the assessment.
Three sources also confirmed to CNN that the nation was not interested in establishing one, a claim echoed by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi last week.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told CNN on Saturday, “President Trump is absolutely right to highlight the grave concern posed by Iran, a country that chants ‘death to America,’ possessing intercontinental ballistic missiles.”
The Pentagon briefers on Sunday cited Iran’s ballistic missile program and proxy forces as evidence the country posed a threat to the U.S., but sources who spoke to CNN noted that this has been true for years and does not explain the supposed urgency of Saturday’s strikes.
However, the briefers acknowledged that “there was no indication that Iran was preparing to preemptively strike U.S. bases in the region in anticipation of some sort of attacks from American-Israeli forces,” senior CNN reporter Zach Cohen said.
Sources who spoke to the Associated Press said that the briefers did not provide any clarity on what would happen in Iran following the strikes.
Donald Trump waves after landing aboard Air Force One on Sunday at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. / Roberto Schmidt / Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images
The news raises “more questions still, as the president has… we haven‘t heard from him about his reasoning, his justification and his plan going forward as this military operation continues,” Cohen told host Kaitlan Collins.
White House spokesperson Dylan Johnson told CNN in response that the Pentagon had “briefed the bipartisan staffs of several national security committees in both chambers for over 90 minutes on the military action in Iran.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the Department of Defense and White House for comment. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to appear before the media on Monday morning to provide an update.
‘I Don’t Understand the Confusion’: Marco Rubio Slams Media for Questioning Reason for Iran Operation
Despite dubbing himself the “Peace President” and promising “no new wars,” Trump launched a wave of missile attacks on Iran early Saturday morning before announcing that the U.S. had begun “major combat operations.”
The strikes, conducted in conjunction with Israel, ultimately resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompting Iran to launch a series of retaliatory strikes on U.S. bases and allies around the Middle East.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a strike on Saturday. / Iranian Leader's Press Office - Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty
Responding to the news that three U.S. soldiers have already died since Saturday, Trump admitted that there would “likely be more.”
“As one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives,” Trump said on Sunday afternoon.
“Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.” The president also told The New York Times on Sunday that projections from the Pentagon suggest U.S. casualties could be “quite a bit higher” than what has already been seen.
According to an X post from U.S. Central Command made late Sunday, U.S. strikes in the region conducted as part of “Operation Epic Fury” continue.
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