Some Trump officials reportedly believe Iran 'intentionally missed' Americans
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Some in the Trump administration reportedly believe Iran "intentionally missed" Americans when it targeted two Iraqi bases with ballistic missiles.
After early reports indicated that Iran's attacks on two bases that housed U.S. troops resulted in no U.S. casualties, CNN reports there is a "growing belief among some administration officials that Iran's missiles intentionally missed areas populated by Americans," with officials considering that "Iran could have directed their missiles to hit areas that are populated by Americans — but specifically did not." There are, however, also "questions about Iran's targeting capabilities, which could have impacted the areas that were hit," the report says.
But one State Department official told CNN that Iran seemed to be sending the message that "we could have done it and we didn't do it." Similarly, a Pentagon official told CNN's Jake Tapper that many military leaders are of the belief that Iran was intentionally aiming for no loss of U.S. life, going for "minimum damage" but "maximum warning."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump in a tweet after the attack on Tuesday night said "all is well!" and that while an "assessment of casualties and damages" is "taking place now," "so far, so good!" He is set to make a statement on Wednesday morning. This idea of Iran intentionally missing American targets will be presented to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, CNN reports, who will brief Trump.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
The problem with diagnosing profound autismThe Explainer Experts are reconsidering the idea of autism as a spectrum, which could impact diagnoses and policy making for the condition
-
What to know before filing your own taxes for the first timethe explainer Tackle this financial milestone with confidence
-
The biggest box office flops of the 21st centuryin depth Unnecessary remakes and turgid, expensive CGI-fests highlight this list of these most notorious box-office losers
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
-
US to send 200 troops to Nigeria to train armySpeed Read Trump has accused the West African government of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks
-
Grand jury rejects charging 6 Democrats for ‘orders’ videoSpeed Read The jury refused to indict Democratic lawmakers for a video in which they urged military members to resist illegal orders
