U.S. officials were bracing for an Iranian missile strike at U.S. facilities in Iraq hours before it happened on Tuesday, The Washington Post reports. White House officials were reportedly preparing on Tuesday morning for Iran to retaliate for the Trump-ordered killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Senior U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., and the Middle East told the Post that early warnings of the retaliatory strike came from intelligence sources and communications from Iraq. “We knew, and the Iraqis told us, that this was coming many hours in advance,” a senior administration official said, adding, “We had intelligence reports several hours in advance that the Iranians were seeking to strike the bases.” Troops stationed at bases in Iraq remained in protected positions for hours—they were ordered into bunkers, clad in protective gear, and told to “shelter in place,” according to military officials. President Trump said during an address on Wednesday morning that the “early warning system” protected the troops from the strike, which resulted in no casualties.
