Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoHillicon Valley: FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden | Treasury Dept. sanctions Iranian government-backed hackers Treasury Dept. sanctions Iranian government-backed hackers The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep MORE told Laura Ingraham Laura Anne IngrahamSean Hannity and Lou Dobbs to be deposed in Seth Rich lawsuit: report NYC living statue shows Trump desecrating graves of war dead, COVID-19 victims American Airlines will allow employees to wear Black Lives Matter pins MORE in a sit-down interview Thursday night that while the U.S. did not know where or when Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani was planning to attack, it was a "real" threat to U.S. assets in the Middle East.

The U.S. killed Soleimani in a drone strike last week ordered by President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE that has further inflamed U.S.-Iran tensions.

"There is no doubt that there were a series of imminent attacks being plotted by Qassem Soleimani," Pompeo told the Fox News host. "We don't know precisely when and we don't know precisely where, but it was real."

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Iran promised a proportional retaliation after the strike killing Soleimani, and on Tuesday it launched a missile strike on two Iraqi bases that house U.S. troops. No American casualties were sustained.

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While most Republicans have backed Trump's decision to authorize the strike on Soleimani, Democrats have criticized the administration, and two Republicans — Sens. Mike Lee Michael (Mike) Shumway LeeMcConnell shores up GOP support for coronavirus package McConnell tries to unify GOP Davis: The Hall of Shame for GOP senators who remain silent on Donald Trump MORE (Utah) and Rand Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulSecond GOP senator to quarantine after exposure to coronavirus GOP senator to quarantine after coronavirus exposure The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by National Industries for the Blind - Trump seeks to flip 'Rage' narrative; Dems block COVID-19 bill MORE (Ky.) — complained a briefing this week explaining the intelligence behind the strike was insulting. The two conservatives senators are normally staunch supporters of Trump, though they are also leery of U.S. involvement in military action in the Middle East.

In his interview with Ingraham, Pompeo, who was one of the congressional briefers, defended the briefing.

"I thought we did a dynamite job," Pompeo said. "We did our level best to do present them with all the facts that we could in that setting," he said, adding, "We shared an awful lot with them yesterday."

On Thursday, with a vote of 224-194, the House passed a war powers resolution that would direct the president to end military hostilities with Iran unless Congress specifically authorizes it or the United States faces an “imminent armed attack.”