This article originally appeared on Antiwar.com and was republished with permission.
Guest post by Kyle Anzalone
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, where she faced several questions about President Donald Trump’s war on Iran.
Gabbard told the committee that after two weeks of Israeli and US bombardment, Iran’s military projection capabilities had been “largely destroyed” and its strategic position “significantly degraded.”
However, Tehran has achieved some important success in the conflict: the government remains intact and in control of the country, Iranian forces continue to fire missiles at US allies and bases in the Middle East, and Iran has been able to prevent US- and Israel-linked cargo from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
In her opening remarks, Gabbard attempted to hype the alleged threat that Iran poses to the US. “Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan have been researching and developing an array of novel, advanced, or traditional missile delivery systems with conventional and nuclear payloads that put the United States at direct risk,” she told the committee.
She later clarified that Iran does not currently have an intercontinental ballistic missile program, and would take nearly a decade to produce a functioning ICBM. “Iran has previously demonstrated space launch and other technology that it could use to develop an ICBM by 2035 if it chose to pursue the technology,” the DNI explained.
During questioning from senators, Gabbard also admitted that Iran’s nuclear energy program was destroyed by the US and Israel during the war last June, and that Tehran had not begun the process of rebuilding its nuclear facilities.
Gabbard’s statement may be problematic for President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly stated that Iran presents an imminent threat to the US which requires immediate military action. However, his top intelligence chief testified that Iran was not rebuilding its nuclear program nor attempting to build a missile capable of reaching the US.
Gabbard is one of several members of the Trump administration who was strongly opposed to war with Iran before joining the White House. Joe Kent, who ran the National Counterterrorism Center and served as Gabbard’s deputy, resigned over the conflict on Tuesday, insisting that Tehran “posed no imminent threat to our nation.”
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