Trump warned of possible Iran retaliation on Gulf allies before strikes - report
Intelligence assessments flagged regional escalation risk despite the president’s claims attacks were unexpected
US President Donald Trump was warned before launching strikes on Iran that Tehran could retaliate against US allies in the Gulf, despite his public claims that such attacks came as a surprise, according to a US official and two sources familiar with intelligence reports cited by Reuters.
Prewar intelligence assessments did not say retaliation was certain, but it was “on the list of potential outcomes,” one source said. The warnings included the possibility that Iran could target Gulf states if it viewed them as supporting or enabling US military action.
Trump said twice on Monday that Iran’s strikes on regional countries were unexpected. “They weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East,” he said. “Nobody expected that. We were shocked.” He later added, “Nobody, nobody, no, no, no. The greatest experts, nobody thought they were going to hit.”
According to Reuters, US intelligence officials had also warned that Israeli plans to strike senior Iranian leadership could trigger retaliation against US military and diplomatic sites and potentially expand to allied countries in the region. Another source said the intelligence community assessed Iran “could” widen its response beyond direct US targets.
Since the start of the conflict, Iranian drones and missiles have struck multiple locations in Gulf states, including US military bases and civilian infrastructure such as airports, hotels, and energy facilities. The attacks have affected countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
Iran has also halted most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes. The disruption has contributed to rising global energy prices and increased concerns over regional stability.