WASHINGTON — The Senate Intelligence Committee will conduct its annual worldwide threats hearing Wednesday, providing lawmakers their first opportunity to publicly challenge President Trump's national security team over intelligence assessments that preceded the Iran war.

The hearing comes as congressional Democrats and some Republicans have privately expressed concerns about the administration's decision-making process leading up to the conflict. Committee Chairman Senator Mark Warner indicated the panel would examine whether intelligence agencies provided adequate warning about potential Iranian responses to American military actions.

"The American people deserve transparency about how we arrived at this point," said former CIA analyst Sarah Mitchell, now with the Center for Strategic Studies. "Three weeks into active hostilities, Congress has a constitutional duty to examine the intelligence picture that informed these critical decisions."

Intelligence community leaders, including CIA Director William Burns and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, are expected to face pointed questions about pre-war assessments of Iranian capabilities and regional stability. The administration has maintained that all military actions were based on credible intelligence regarding imminent threats to American personnel and interests in the region. Defense analyst Robert Chen from the Atlantic Council noted that "intelligence oversight becomes particularly vital during active conflicts, when rapid decisions can have far-reaching consequences for American strategic interests."