Furious Republicans stormed out of a classified briefing on Iran on Wednesday amid fears the US is preparing to invade the country as Tehran refuses Donald Trump’s peace overtures.
With almost 7,000 US ground forces deploying or en route to the Middle East – including from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and the Marines – speculation is swirling about Trump’s rapidly developing plans for the war.
Nancy Mace walked out early, venting that ‘we were misled,’ while pro-Trump committee chair Mike Rogers warned ‘we’re not getting answers’ as Pentagon chiefs briefed the House Armed Services Committee, sparking fireworks on Capitol Hill.
Now, a Daily Mail source inside the room has revealed stark new details, including a new set of objectives which may suggest that America is moving toward boots on the ground as Iran continues to strangle the Strait of Hormuz.
Source says briefing outlined three military objectives
The lawmaker, speaking on condition of anonymity, said members were presented with three military objectives: Kharg Island, Iran’s crucial oil export hub; its nuclear material; and regime change.
It marks a stark shift from the four goals the White House has publicly stated: destroying Iran’s missiles, navy, armed proxies, and nuclear capabilities.
The lawmaker said that the White House must answer for its plans, particularly regarding Kharg Island and troops on the ground.
The answers are ‘jaw-dropping’ and ‘will blow your brains out,’ the lawmaker said.
Iran has begun reinforcing Kharg Island for a potential US ground invasion by laying traps such as anti-personnel and anti-armor mines along likely landing zones.
The island, responsible for the processing of 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports, lies deep inside the Persian Gulf, and its capture would represent a major strategic shift in the war.
US officials warn of risks
US officials have warned the administration that a ground operation to seize the island would carry significant risks, including the potential for high numbers of American casualties.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers was uncharacteristically agitated after leaving the briefing, stating that he had few details about the direction the war is heading.
‘We want to know more about what’s going on,’ Rogers, an Alabama Republican, said. ‘We’re just not getting enough answers.’
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker of Mississippi felt the same after his own briefing.
‘I can see why he might have said that,’ Wicker told Politico of Rogers’ comments.
Nancy Mace wrote on X: ‘The justifications presented to the American public for the war in Iran were not the same military objectives we were briefed on today in the House Armed Services Committee.’
The White House refused to comment on the questions raised by the committee member who spoke to the Daily Mail.
Regime change objective aligns with Israel’s war aims
But at least one of the new objectives, regime change, aligns with Israel’s stated war aims. Trump has not mentioned regime change in his public messaging since the early days of the conflict, and it features nowhere in the White House’s official goals.
Netanyahu has three goals: eliminating Iran’s ballistic-missile stockpile, ensuring Tehran cannot develop a nuclear warhead, and fostering an environment within Iran for civilians to overthrow the Islamic regime.
On Wednesday, Iran flatly rejected a 15-point peace plan presented by the US.
The walkout lays bare the fractures in the GOP over the Iran war, with skepticism growing among lawmakers about the timeline, scope, and purpose of the prolonged assault.
Members also expect the White House to submit a request for additional funding for the Pentagon.
The estimated price tag is $200 billion, roughly a fifth of the entire Pentagon’s annual budget.
