Trump administration believes Iran missiles were 'intended to kill Americans,' Pence says


The Trump administration does not believe Iran intentionally missed Americans when it fired ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops, Vice President Mike Pence says.
Pence in a Thursday interview on Today responded to reports that certain officials believed Iran was intentionally not aiming for any casualties when it launched its retaliatory attack against the Iraqi bases this week, with CNN reporting Wednesday some in the administration think "Iran could have directed their missiles to hit areas that are populated by Americans — but specifically did not."
Pence disputed this on Thursday, saying the ballistic missiles "we believe were intended to kill Americans. We have intelligence to support that that was the intention of the Iranians."
Subscribe to 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.
During his Today appearance, Pence also responded to a backlash from Democrats and some Republicans to a congressional briefing Wednesday on Trump's decision to order a drone strike killing Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, which Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) slammed as "insulting" and that Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said provided no new information that "I hadn't seen in a newspaper already."
In response to this criticism, Pence told Today the administration couldn't share "some of the most compelling evidence that Qassem Soleimani was preparing an imminent attack" because it would "compromise" sources. This answer, NBC News' Frank Thorp observed, "will not go over well with members of Congress (who have a security clearance) who left those briefings unsatisfied." Brendan Morrow
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
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.
-
5 costly cartoons about the national debt
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on the USA's financial hole, rare bipartisan agreement, and Donald Trump and Mike Johnson.
-
Green goddess salad recipe
The Week Recommends Avocado can be the creamy star of the show in this fresh, sharp salad
-
The Biden cover-up: a 'near-treasonous' conspiracy
Talking Point Using 'Trumpian' tactics, the former president's inner circle maintained a conspiracy of silence around his cognitive and physical decline
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media
-
Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery
speed read Former sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges