Trump was warned of likely Iranian retaliation on Gulf allies, sources say
Summary
President Donald Trump was warned that attacking Iran could provoke retaliation against US Gulf allies, despite his claims of surprise after Iran struck multiple Gulf countries.
Key Points
- President Donald Trump was warned that attacking Iran could trigger retaliation against US Gulf allies including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
- US intelligence assessments indicated that Iranian retaliation was a potential outcome though not guaranteed.
- Iran has launched missile and drone attacks on Gulf countries targeting US and allied military bases, civilian infrastructure, and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Democratic lawmakers received no intelligence briefing indicating an imminent threat necessitating US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran.
