Thread by @DanLamothe

NEW: 'Launch, launch, launch': Inside the Trump administration as the Iranian missiles began to fall.

An updated version of what happened last night in Washington and Iraq. Key Pentagon details to follow... 1/

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…

This story with @shaneharris, @jdawsey1 and @missy_ryan had me in back rooms in the Pentagon today. Spoke to numerous officials. Among them were three senior defense officials deeply involved in the Pentagon, including one in uniform. 2/

@shaneharris @jdawsey1 @missy_ryan Some of the details may have been reported elsewhere. But many have not. 3/

@shaneharris @jdawsey1 @missy_ryan Among them: A description of how the senior team at the Pentagon came together yesterday expecting an attack. Defense Secretary Mark Esper was pulled out of a meeting he led when military officials learned that an attack was on the way, senior officials said. 4/

@shaneharris @jdawsey1 @missy_ryan “There was a lot of concern,” one senior defense official said. “It was anxious, wanting to get updates.” 5/

@shaneharris @jdawsey1 @missy_ryan The Pentagon had expected an attack for days -- and possibly not just in Iraq. Precautions were taken. Troops were pulled off some small bases that were harder to defend. On Al Asad, troops were dispersed in ways that made it harder to strike many at one time, officials said. 6/

@shaneharris @jdawsey1 @missy_ryan The missiles were launched for more than an hour, said the senior military official. It was hard for them to discern when the attack was truly over. Shelter in place lasted for hours. 7/

@shaneharris @jdawsey1 @missy_ryan “This was not a ‘boom’ and all of this hit at once,” said one senior defense official. “This was launch, launch, launch.” 8/

@shaneharris @jdawsey1 @missy_ryan After the attack ended, U.S. troops eventually emerged. Battle-damage assessment began, but truly took hold once daylight hit in Iraq, Pentagon officials said. 9/

@shaneharris @jdawsey1 @missy_ryan An administration official told The Post that by 7:30 p.m. last night, it was "pretty clear" that no Americans were killed. But the Pentagon was slow to release much, awaiting more details. 10/

@shaneharris @jdawsey1 @missy_ryan Esper and Milley returned to the Pentagon by about 9 p.m., as previously reported. Assessment was made that there was no rush to say much, and caution was more important. 11/

@shaneharris @jdawsey1 @missy_ryan “We all understood that if the Iranians were to respond next, we owned the shot clock after,” one senior defense official said. “So, you need to be very thoughtful, very deliberate.” 12/

@shaneharris @jdawsey1 @missy_ryan That brings us to the president's speech today, messaging an off-ramp from war while at the same time promising more sanctions. Sanctions have economically crippled Iran already, and prompted a number of their attacks over the last year, most military professionals say. 13/

@shaneharris @jdawsey1 @missy_ryan While many administration officials have said they believe Iran deliberately missed, Gen. Milley didn't appear convinced of that. 14/

@shaneharris @jdawsey1 @missy_ryan “I believe based on what I saw and what I know is that they were intended to cause structural damage, destroy vehicles and equipment and aircraft and to kill personnel,” Milley told reporters, including @missy_ryan, this afternoon. “That’s my own personal assessment.” 15/

@shaneharris @jdawsey1 @missy_ryan Now we wait for what's next. Does Iran launch more proxy attacks? If so, what's the line for the U.S. responding militarily again? Can Iran and United States find a way back to diplomacy, either on their own or with the help of others in the Gulf and Europe?

More to come. 16/16