USA TODAY International Edition
Report: White House sought military plans to attack Iran
President Donald Trump’s National Security Council has asked for military options on striking Iran in response to that country’s support of insurgents in Iraq, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
The council, under national security adviser John Bolton, made the request after militants aligned with Iran fired three mortar rounds into the diplomatic section of Baghdad, which includes the U.S. Embassy, according to the report. The mortars landed in a vacant lot, and no one was injured.
The Journal reported that the Pentagon developed the plans in response to the request, but it is unclear whether the plans were shared with the White House or Trump.
Unnamed sources told the Journal the request raised alarm within the Defense and State Departments.
“It was mind-boggling how cavalier they were about hitting Iran,” a former senior administration official told the Journal.
NSC spokesman Garrett Marquis said in a statement, “We continue to review the status of our personnel following attempted attacks on our embassy in Baghdad and our Basra consulate, and we will consider a full range of options to preserve their safety and our interests.”
Former U.S. officials told the Journal “it was unnerving that the National Security Council asked for far-reaching military options to strike Iran in response to attacks that caused little damage and no injuries.”
Bolton has long backed a more aggressive policy toward Iran. He favored pulling out of the Obama administration-era deal in which Iran agreed to pause its nuclear weapons program in exchange for reduced sanctions.