WASHINGTON: Officials from President Donald Trump’s administration testified on Capitol Hill for a second day, discussing global threats with a focus on the situation in Iran. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, faced renewed inquiries over the rationale behind the ongoing conflict.
Gabbard, alongside CIA Director John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Kash Patel, appeared before the House Intelligence Committee for a hearing anticipated to revisit intense debates from the previous day’s Senate session.
The discussions largely revolved around Trump’s assertion that Iran posed an “imminent” nuclear threat, which led to military actions by the U.S. and Israel. When pressed by lawmakers, Gabbard did not fully support the president’s language but stated that defining an imminent threat rests mainly with the president.
This response didn’t sit well with many Democrats, who argued that evaluating threats is a key role of the intelligence community.
In a notable moment during her opening remarks, Gabbard omitted a key point about the status of Iran’s nuclear program, which she acknowledged later still aligns with intelligence assessments—that U.S. strikes last June had effectively devastated the program. She added that Iran’s government remains weakened but not collapsed after ongoing military actions, presenting a more cautious view than typical public statements from the administration.
The backdrop of the hearing intensified due to the recent resignation of Joe Kent, a senior counterterrorism official and ally of Gabbard, who stepped down in protest against the war. Kent claimed in his resignation letter that Iran did not pose an imminent threat prior to the attacks, raising further concerns among lawmakers from both parties.
While many Republicans have largely supported Trump’s approach to the conflict, Kent’s resignation has sparked apprehensions about potential divisions within the party. Vice President JD Vance worked to ease these worries, stating that the administration aims to avoid a prolonged conflict. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remarked that there is no clear timeline for ending the war.
Thursday’s House hearing is expected to revisit contentious issues, as lawmakers continue to question intelligence officials about discrepancies between their assessments and the administration’s public justifications. Although the session will expand to other global threats, the situation with Iran, now in its third week, is likely to take center stage once again.
