Trump ignored top-level warnings before launching Iran war: Report

US President Donald Trump launched the February offensive against Iran despite explicit warnings from his intelligence chief, vice president and senior military advisers that the conflict could trigger a global energy crisis and lead to a more hard-line Iranian leadership, The Wall Street Journal reported.

According to people familiar with pre-war meetings, then-Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told Trump that killing Iran’s supreme leader would likely “usher in a more hard-line” successor and force the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which one-fifth of global oil and gas trade passes.

US Vice President JD Vance also advocated a more “cautious,” negotiation-first approach, arguing that a diplomatic deal would be less costly than a war with […]