As reports of a retaliatory attack by Iran reached President Donald Trump and the Pentagon late Tuesday afternoon, U.S. officials quickly began the process of evaluating the situation and weighing potential responses.
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said the White House was aware of the reports.
"The president has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team," she said shortly after the reports first emerged.
Trump was initially said to be preparing to address the nation Tuesday night, per CNN. Two White House officials told the news outlet that a speech is being prepared and plans are being made for the president to speak Tuesday night from the Oval Office.
But as the evening wore on, CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins tweeted that those plans seemed to be changing, and that the White House now says Trump will NOT address trhe nation tonight."
It was not immediately clear what reponse the U.S. might have. Jonathan Hoffman, a Pentagon spokesperson, said in a statement that Iran had launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles targeting at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil.
"We are working on initial battle assessments," he said.
He went on to say: “In recent days and in response to Iranian threats and actions, the Department of Defense has taken all appropriate measures to safeguard our personnel and partners. These bases have been on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region.”
“As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the region.”
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