Top officials say US doesn’t want war with Iran

(AP) Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan is trying to assure lawmakers that the administration is not rushing toward a military confrontation with Iran.

Shanahan says he outlined during closed-door briefings Tuesday what the Pentagon has done since receiving “credible intelligence about threats to our interests in the Middle East and to American forces.” He said, “This is about deterrence, not about war.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo briefed lawmakers alongside Shanahan and said he placed recent intelligence about Iran “in context.”

The briefings on Capitol Hill came after weeks of escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf. Lawmakers have criticized the administration for not communicating with Congress while responding to the threat. Many have warned that the Trump administration cannot go to war without authorization from Congress.