Trump ‘Had a Feeling, Based on Fact,’ That There Was an Imminent Iran Threat, White House Says

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump believed Iran could “pose a risk to Americans in the region and even Americans one day here at home.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was pressed for details on what led up to U.S. strikes on Iran. Alex Brandon/AP

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that President Donald Trump made the decision to strike Iran because he “had a good feeling that the Iranian regime was going to strike” U.S. assets and personnel in the region.

The Trump administration has said that the U.S. faced imminent threats from Iran, which necessitated the strikes that began early Saturday. But it has not communicated specific intelligence or information beyond the fact that Iran possesses ballistic missile capabilities, as it has for years.

Reporters pressed Leavitt for specifics; she said the decision was informed by the president’s feelings.