32701835107_265a47c31b_o — U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya participate in a joint press availability following the Security Consultative Committee (“2+2”) meeting at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on April 19, 2019. [State Department photo by Ron Przysucha/ Public Domain]

Top Trump Administration Officials to Brief Senate, House on Iran on Tuesday

May 20, 2019

WASHINGTON, May 20 (Reuters) – Top officials from President Donald Trump’s administration will brief the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives about Iran on Tuesday afternoon, congressional aides said, after lawmakers clamored for more information about tension between the two countries.

The briefers will be Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Joseph Dunford and an unnamed representative of the intelligence community, congressional aides said.

Aides had said last week that a Senate briefing was set for Tuesday, but details of the House meeting had not been made final.

Trump threatened Iran in a tweet on Sunday, raising concerns about a potential U.S.-Iran conflict at a time when tensions between Washington and Tehran have risen.

Concern also rose after a rocket was fired on Sunday into the Iraqi capital Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and diplomatic missions, falling near the U.S. Embassy but causing no casualties.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle Editing by Alistair Bell)