Iran was not rebuilding nuclear enrichment, US intelligence finds

Summary

• US intelligence found Iran wasn't rebuilding nuclear facilities destroyed in a 2025 US-Israeli attack, contradicting Trump's war justification.
• Trump claimed Iran was an "imminent threat" and close to a nuclear bomb despite intelligence and ongoing nuclear deal talks.
• Gabbard stated Iran's regime is "largely degraded" but intact, likely to rebuild its military after attacks, including Khamenei's death.

WASHINGTON – US intelligence concluded on March 18 that Iran was not rebuilding nuclear enrichment capacities that were destroyed in a June 2025 US-Israeli attack, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s justifications for his ongoing war.

Ms Tulsi Gabbard, a Trump ally who is director of national intelligence, shared the conclusion in written testimony as part of an annual threat assessment but did not repeat the finding when speaking to senators.

“As a result of Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme was obliterated. There has been no efforts since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability,” Ms Gabbard said, in testimony to the Senate intelligence committee.

Pressed by a Democratic senator on why she did not repeat the conclusion on camera, Ms Gabbard said that she did not have enough time to read the full testimony at the hearing but did not deny the assessment.

Mr Trump has repeatedly said that he ordered the attack on Iran alongside Israel on Feb 28 due to an “imminent threat”.

Mr Trump said after the June 2025 bombing that the US had completely destroyed Iran’s nuclear sites but since his latest war has said that Tehran was weeks away from a nuclear bomb, a finding not shared by most observers and despite ongoing talks on a nuclear deal.

A senior aide to Ms Gabbard – who herself as a congresswoman had led opposition to war with Iran – resigned on March 17, saying there was no “imminent threat” and that Mr Trump was misled by Israel and media.

In her remarks to senators, Ms Gabbard said Iran had been suffering heavy blows in the weeks of attacks – which included the killing of the longtime supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – but that the Islamic republic was still functioning.

The US intelligence community “assesses the regime in Iran to be intact but largely degraded due to attacks on its leadership and military capabilities”, Ms Gabbard said.

“If a hostile regime survives, it will likely seek to begin a years-long effort to rebuild its military, missiles, and UAV forces,” Ms Gabbard said, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. AFP