US intelligence chief omits key fact about Iran at Senate hearing
Photo: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard (Getty Images)
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, during her speech in the Senate, did not mention part of her prepared statement that referred to the absence of attempts by Iran to restore its nuclear program following US strikes in 2025, Bloomberg reports.
According to the prepared text of her speech, Iran had not attempted for a year to restore its uranium enrichment capabilities after Operation Midnight Hammer. In particular, it was noted that the entrances to underground facilities had been backfilled and sealed.
The outlet emphasized that this conclusion appears less alarming than public statements by the US administration about the threat of Iran resuming its nuclear program.
During the hearing, Senator Mark Warner drew attention to the absence of this passage in her remarks.
"You omitted that paragraph from your oral opening — was that because the president had said there was an imminent threat?" he said.
Gabbard did not directly answer the question and explained the omission differently.
"I recognized that the time was running long, and I skipped through some of the portions of my oral delivered remarks," she said.
Instead, in her remarks, she emphasized intelligence assessments regarding Iran’s previous attempts to restore its nuclear infrastructure and also supported the current US military operation.
War in Iran and divisions in the US
The military conflict in the Middle East began in late February 2026. US allies had warned of the risk of a large-scale escalation that could affect the stability of global energy markets.
Amid the fighting, internal divisions in the United States have intensified. In particular, the head of the Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, resigned, accusing the administration of Donald Trump of launching the war under pressure from external actors.
In this context, senators are preparing a public questioning of intelligence leaders regarding the circumstances surrounding the start of the war and threat assessments.
At the same time, according to The Wall Street Journal, some of Trump’s advisers are calling for an end to the conflict amid rising oil prices and the risks of a prolonged war.
