The top intelligence official in the US said on Wednesday that the Iranian regime was intact but largely degraded.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and other top Trump administration officials testified at a congressional hearing for more than two hours about worldwide threats to the US.
It was the first public briefing on intelligence since the war began in late February and came one day after a top counterterrorism leader resigned, stating that Iran had not posed an imminent threat to the US.
Gabbard, who coordinates the country's intelligence operations, mentioned that the US had anticipated trouble in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping channel.
The IC [intelligence community] assesses the regime in Iran appears to be intact, but largely degraded due to attacks on its leadership and military capabilities, she said.
Appearing alongside the heads of the CIA, FBI, National Security Agency, and Defense Intelligence Agency, Gabbard declined to answer when asked repeatedly by Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, about whether she viewed Iran as an imminent threat. The only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the president, she stated.
Since the war began, lawmakers from both parties have questioned why the US struck the Islamic Republic and whether the Trump administration was aware of potential problems in the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump has asserted that the US attacked primarily due to Iran's nuclear weapon developments, which he claimed posed a threat to the US and Israel.
On Tuesday, Joe Kent resigned from his role as director of the national counterterrorism center, indicating in a public resignation letter that Iran had posed no imminent threat to the US and critiquing Trump for the war.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe testified alongside Gabbard, expressing a differing opinion. I think Iran has been a constant threat to the United States for an extended period of time and posed an immediate threat at this time, he emphasized.
Gabbard noted that US and Israeli strikes in the Middle East had largely destroyed Iran's military capabilities.
Furthermore, she said the intelligence community assessed that Iran was trying to recover from the severe damage to its nuclear infrastructure sustained during the 12-Day War and continued to refuse to comply with its nuclear obligations.
The US and Israel conducted attacks on Iran over 12 days in June 2025 aimed at destroying potential capabilities for nuclear weapon production.
In written remarks for the hearing, Gabbard claimed those attacks obliterated Iran's nuclear enrichment program, and Iran had made no efforts to rebuild it. However, she did not state this information during the hearing.
When Democratic Senator Mark Warner queried about the omission, Gabbard explained she had to trim her remarks as they were running long. So you chose to omit the parts that contradict the president, Warner replied, addressing Trump's claim that military action against Iran was essential due to its nuclear weapons development.
Senator Angus King raised concerns about the involvement of intelligence officials in Trump's decision to strike Iran, asking if they were in the room during his final decision-making process.
Ratcliffe confirmed he participated in dozens and dozens of meetings with the president, though he was uncertain about whether there was a single time where a decision was made. Moreover, King questioned if intelligence officials had warned Trump about the likelihood of an Iranian attack on the Strait of Hormuz amidst the ongoing conflict. Gabbard noted the intelligence community had a longstanding assessment that Iran would likely hold the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the Pentagon to take pre-emptive planning measures as a response.
