Tensions flared during a briefing on Iran for members of Congress

WASHINGTON – Tensions flared behind closed doors Wednesday as defense and intelligence officials briefed other lawmakers on the Iran war, with Republicans and Democrats expressing frustration over the lack of clarity and details about President Donald Trump’s strategy, according to four congressional officials who attended the briefing and a lawmaker briefed later.

Much of the frustration during the House Armed Services Committee hearing centered on the prospect of the United States sending ground troops to Iran, officials and law enforcement officials said, including what the troops would be used for and whether the U.S. would adequately protect them once deployed.

“There was no plan, no strategy, no shared incident, and they didn’t give any answers.

The meeting took place as the war nears its one-month mark and the Trump administration is both busy trying to end it and sending more troops to the Middle East while Trump weighs whether to send US troops into Iran.

The chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., acknowledged in a message to NBC News after the briefing that there was some frustration “With all the information we’ve been getting over the last few months.”

He said “the criticism has nothing to do with Operation Epic Fury.”

“I fully support what the administration is doing in Iran,” he wrote. “But, when he speaks to members he must be ready to deliver important information and answer questions fully.”

Rep. Nancy Mace, RS.C., criticized the briefing afterward, writing to X: “I just got off the House Armed Services Briefing on Iran. Let me say it again: I will not support the ground forces in Iran, even more so after this briefing.”

The Defense Department and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday night.

Congressional officials said reporters could not provide details about the possibility of sending US troops to Iran but would not release it. Other lawyers who attended the forum made it clear in a closed meeting that they will not put their boots on the ground, officials said.

A lawmaker who was briefed on the content of the briefing said the “red line” for some lawmakers who currently support war would be US ground troops in Iran.

“That is the time when they will give up the effort. There was concern that it would not be released,” said the lawyer.

The four congressional officials in this forum also said that there is a disappointment of the defense and intelligence officials regarding what they consider to be the lack of a unified strategy for the war, especially where it is heading. They also said that the tension is arising due to the conflicting explanations of the administration about the reasons for starting the war.

Sources say some US troops heading to the region are meant to give Trump options, congressional officials said.