How the National Security Council typically functions to plan and fully assess risks when presidents consider going to war

The national intelligence community has seemingly been sidelined from Trump’s Iran war decisions – a far cry from previous administrations, writes a former National Security Council member.

By: Gregory F. Treverton, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 24, 2026

Words: 1,279

Last Updated: 4 months, 1 week ago

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By Gregory F. Treverton, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Three weeks into the U.S. war with Iran, it seems increasingly evident that President Donald Trump and his administration miscalculated how Iran would respond to attacks.

Besides appearing unprepared by the escalation of war, the president has offered contradictory statements on the U.S. rationale for bombing Iran, including that Iranian missiles could “soon” rain down on American cities.

The administration’s …

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