Furious Republicans storm out of secret Iran briefing as shifting objectives spark panic

Furious Republicans stormed out of a classified briefing on Iran on Wednesday amid fears the US is preparing to invade the country as Tehran refuses Donald Trump's peace overtures. 

With almost 7,000 US ground forces deploying or en route to the Middle East - including from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division and the Marines - speculation is swirling about Trump's rapidly developing plans for the war. 

Congresswoman Nancy Mace walked out early, venting that 'we were misled,' while pro-Trump committee chair Mike Rogers warned 'we're not getting answers,' as Pentagon chiefs briefed the House Armed Services Committee, sparking fireworks on Capitol Hill. 

Now, a Daily Mail source inside the room has revealed stark new details, including a shifting set of objectives separate from those publicly touted by the administration. 

'We were told nukes were not a military objective,' they said, noting how the Pentagon has repeatedly stated they were. 

It marks a stark shift from the four goals the White House has publicly stated: destroying Iran's missiles, navy, armed proxies, and nuclear capabilities. 

It comes as Trump extended his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of its energy plants by 10 days to April 6, after saying peace talks are 'going very well' on Thursday. 

The lawmaker, speaking on condition of anonymity, urged the White House to answer questions about Kharg Island, Iran's crucial oil export hub; its nuclear material; and regime change. 

The lawmaker said that the White House must answer for its plans, particularly regarding Kharg Island and troops on the ground.

The answers are 'jaw-dropping' and 'will blow your brains out', the lawmaker said. 

However, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly disputed the lawmaker's comments and told the Daily Mail, 'This is completely false.'

She added: 'The United States Military has four distinct goals in Operation Epic Fury: destroy Iran’s ballistic missile capacity, annihilate their navy, ensure that terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region, and guarantee that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.'

Iran has begun reinforcing Kharg Island for a potential US ground invasion by laying traps such as anti-personnel and anti-armor mines along likely landing zones.

The island, responsible for the processing of 90 percent of Iran's oil exports, lies deep inside the Persian Gulf, and its capture would represent a major strategic shift in the war.  

US officials have warned the administration that a ground operation to seize the island would carry significant risks, including the potential for high numbers of American casualties. 

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rogers was uncharacteristically agitated after leaving the briefing, stating that he had few details about the direction the war is heading. 

'We want to know more about what’s going on,' Rogers, an Alabama Republican, said. 'We’re just not getting enough answers.'

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker of Mississippi felt the same after his own briefing.

'I can see why he might have said that,' Wicker told Politico of Rogers's comments. 

Mace wrote on X: 'The justifications presented to the American public for the war in Iran were not the same military objectives we were briefed on today in the House Armed Services Committee.' 

But at least one of the new objectives, regime change, aligns with Israel's stated war aims. Trump has not mentioned regime change in his public messaging since the early days of the conflict, and it features nowhere in the White House's official goals. 

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has three goals: eliminating Iran's ballistic-missile stockpile, ensuring Tehran cannot develop a nuclear warhead, and fostering an environment within Iran for civilians to overthrow the Islamic regime.

On Wednesday, Iran flatly rejected a 15-point peace plan presented by the US.  

The Republican walkout lays bare the fractures in the GOP over the Iran war, with skepticism growing among lawmakers about the timeline, scope, and purpose of the prolonged assault. 

Members also expect the White House to submit a request for additional funding for the Pentagon. 

The estimated price tag is $200billion, roughly a fifth of the entire Pentagon's annual budget.

'As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,' Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.

'Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well,' he added. 

Tehran has said it is not engaged in talks with Washington and Trump has not identified who the US is negotiating with ​in the regime, with many high-ranking officials killed in the war. 

On March 23, the US President announced a halt to all threatened strikes against power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period, ⁠but has now extended it to 10 days.

The Islamic Republic has said it would return strikes on energy facilities in the Gulf region if Trump follows through with his threat.