“[A]ministration officials said they did not actually know when or where .. an attack might occur and one ... said it was ‘a mistake’ to use the word ‘imminent.’ And some ... were stunned that Mr. Trump picked what they considered a radical option with unforeseen consequences.”
“American intelligence officials ... learned that the Iranians ..had not intended to escalate the low-level conflict. The rockets landed ... when ... personnel normally were not there and it was only by unlucky chance that Mr. Hamid [the American contractor] was killed ....”
“[Trump] sought validation from guests at his Florida clubs, recounting details ... and drinking in their praise for his decisiveness. He [said] he wanted to preserve the support of Republican hawks in the Senate in the coming impeachment trial, naming Senator Tom Cotton ....”
