DNI Gabbard Confirms Iran Enrichment Halt in Senate Hearing as Trump Weighs Operation to Seize Missing Nuclear Material
At a Senate Intelligence Committee worldwide‑threats hearing, DNI Tulsi Gabbard — testifying alongside CIA, FBI, NSA and DIA heads — said the U.S. intelligence community assesses Iran’s enrichment program was “obliterated” in last year’s strikes and that there have been no efforts since June 2025 to rebuild, while she deferred determinations of an “imminent” threat to President Trump and described the regime as largely degraded but intact. The testimony comes amid a dispute triggered by former NCTC director Joe Kent’s resignation, IAEA reporting that roughly 400 kg of highly enriched uranium is unaccounted for, and White House discussions of possible military options, including seizing missing nuclear material.
📌 Key Facts
- The Senate Intelligence Committee held its annual "worldwide threats" hearing Wednesday at 10 a.m., with DNI Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel, NSA chief Lt. Gen. William Hartman and DIA Director Lt. Gen. James Adams testifying; a follow‑on House Intelligence hearing was scheduled for Thursday.
- National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent resigned, publicly asserting that Iran posed "no imminent threat," accusing the U.S. of starting the war "due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby," and saying a misinformation campaign had misled the administration; Kent is described as a trusted aide and close adviser to Gabbard.
- Gabbard’s written testimony said U.S. strikes last year "obliterated" Iran’s nuclear enrichment program and that there have been "no efforts" since June 2025 to rebuild enrichment capability; she initially skipped that line in her opening statement but later affirmed it under questioning.
- In oral exchanges, Gabbard said the intelligence community provided assessments (including that Iran intended to rebuild enrichment capability) but repeatedly framed determination of what constitutes an "imminent threat" as the president’s responsibility, effectively deferring the final judgment to President Trump.
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe rejected Kent’s assessment, describing Iran as a "constant threat" that "posed an immediate threat at this time," illustrating a sharp split among senior U.S. intelligence officials.
- The White House and Pentagon have been considering a possible operation to seize missing nuclear material after IAEA inspectors said roughly 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium could not be accounted for following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites; CBS reports the president has not decided and multiple military options have been prepared.
- Separately, PBS reported that outdated targeting data — reportedly from the Defense Intelligence Agency — likely led to a U.S. missile striking an elementary school in Iran and killing more than 165 people; the White House says the incident remains under investigation.
- Officials told the Senate the U.S.–Israeli offensive has "vastly degraded" Iran’s military capabilities while the Iranian regime "appears to be intact" though "largely degraded," and security experts warn the war has given extremist groups a "narrative opening," with recent U.S. incidents being probed as terrorism and concerns that reduced content moderation and AI are accelerating online radicalization.
📊 Relevant Data
In a Quinnipiac poll conducted in March 2026, 89% of Democrats and 60% of independents opposed U.S. military action against Iran, while 85% of Republicans supported it, highlighting a significant partisan divide in public approval.
U.S. Military Action Against Iran: Over Half Of Voters Oppose It, 74% Disapprove Of The Way Trump Is Handling The Conflict — Quinnipiac University Poll
In 2025, households in majority African American census tracts paid an average of 5.1% of their income for energy costs, compared to 3.2% for majority White tracts, indicating higher energy burdens for Black households amid rising oil prices.
National study finds energy bills hit minority households the hardest — Binghamton University
Pro-Israel lobbying costs and campaign donations increased in 2025, with one American Jewish organization boosting expenses by 375% during Israel's military campaign, influencing U.S. policies on Iran.
Pro-Israel lobbying costs, campaign donations up in 2025, in one case by 375% — Jewish News Syndicate (JNS)
A 2026 Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 25% of Americans supported U.S. strikes on Iran, with 55% of Republicans approving compared to just 13% disapproval within the party, while 42% of Republicans were unsure.
Just one in four Americans say they back US strikes on Iran, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds — Reuters
📰 Source Timeline (11)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 19, 2026
10:55 AM
Hegseth and Caine holding briefing on Iran war
New information:
- At a separate Senate hearing, DNI Tulsi Gabbard stated that despite U.S. and Israeli strikes on senior Iranian leaders, Iran’s regime 'appears to be intact' though 'largely degraded.'
- Her latest characterization speaks to overall regime resilience, beyond the narrower enrichment capability questions highlighted in earlier coverage.
10:00 AM
Gabbard, intel chiefs to testify at second hearing on worldwide threats
New information:
- Gabbard’s prepared testimony said Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was 'obliterated' in last year’s strikes and that there have been 'no efforts' by Iran since June 2025 to rebuild its enrichment capability, and she later affirmed under questioning that this remains the intelligence community’s assessment.
- Gabbard initially skipped that passage when reading her opening statement at the Senate hearing; Sen. Mark Warner flagged the omission, and she claimed she was trying to save time.
- CBS, citing sources familiar with internal deliberations, reports that President Trump 'hasn’t made up his mind' on whether to send U.S. forces into Iran to seize missing nuclear material, even as the Pentagon has prepared multiple options.
- The article reiterates that after U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites last summer, the IAEA said it could not account for about 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, a gap that would likely drive any such operation.
9:00 AM
As overseas terrorists regroup, is the Iran war increasing danger in the U.S.?
New information:
- Gabbard told the Senate Intelligence Committee that the U.S. now sees fewer signs of large, complex foreign Islamist plots and more efforts focused on individuals radicalized by propaganda, sometimes without direct ISIS or al‑Qaida contact.
- The article links the Iran war to recent U.S. incidents being probed as terrorism: an ISIS‑inspired attempted bombing at a protest outside the New York City mayor’s residence and a deadly shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia, plus a Detroit‑area synagogue attack labeled targeted violence.
- Security experts Michael Masters (Secure Community Network) and William Braniff (PERIL) say the U.S.–Israeli offensive in Iran has given foreign terrorist entities a 'narrative opening' they are exploiting, and warn that tech companies’ retreat from content moderation and growing use of AI are making online radicalization faster and more dangerous.
8:32 AM
War escalates, energy prices spike after Israeli strike on Iran gas field
New information:
- In addition to her earlier comments about who defines an 'imminent threat,' Tulsi Gabbard is now quoted in this CBS reporting as telling senators the Iranian regime 'appears to be intact' though 'largely degraded,' despite 'relentless' U.S.–Israeli attacks.
- This characterization, delivered at a Senate hearing, emphasizes that Washington’s stated aim of breaking the regime’s grip on power has not been achieved, even as military operations and regional escalation intensify.
March 18, 2026
10:59 PM
What’s a Threat? Gabbard Says It’s Up to Trump, on Iran and Elsewhere.
New information:
- New York Times piece more sharply characterizes Gabbard’s testimony as effectively handing the core 'imminent threat' judgment from the intelligence community to President Trump.
- It highlights that Joe Kent is described as a 'trusted aide' and close adviser to Gabbard, underscoring the political and personal stakes of her response.
- It frames the hearing as a 'communications crisis' for the administration after Kent’s letter saying 'Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation', and stresses Gabbard’s balancing act of not directly attacking Kent while aligning with Trump.
7:18 PM
Gabbard defers to Trump when asked if Iran posed "imminent threat"
New information:
- Axios details an exchange in which Sen. Jon Ossoff asks whether the intelligence community assessed Iran as an 'imminent nuclear threat,' and Gabbard responds that the IC assessed Iran intended to rebuild enrichment but that 'the only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the president.'
- Gabbard explicitly states, 'It is not the intelligence community's responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat,' framing the IC as providing inputs while leaving 'imminent threat' judgments solely to the president.
- Axios contrasts this oral testimony with Gabbard’s prepared written statement, which said Iran’s enrichment program was 'obliterated' in prior strikes and that there had 'been no efforts since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability,' highlighting a tension with her spoken reference to Iran’s intention to rebuild.
- The piece notes the White House has asserted Iran posed an 'imminent nuclear threat' but has offered no public proof of what spurred the strikes, and frames Gabbard’s answers against that backdrop and Joe Kent’s resignation letter claiming Iran posed 'no imminent threat.'
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe is quoted as saying he disagreed with Kent and viewed Iran as both a 'constant threat' and an 'immediate threat at this time,' adding another layer to the internal narrative.
- Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt tells Fox News that Trump still has 'full confidence' in Gabbard despite the controversy and her past opposition to war with Iran.
5:36 PM
Tulsi Gabbard offers threat assessment – and walks a careful line on Iran
New information:
- Tulsi Gabbard told the Senate Intelligence Committee that U.S. airstrikes under Operation Epic Fury have “vastly degraded” Iran’s military capabilities while acknowledging the regime remains intact.
- Gabbard declined in open session to answer whether the intelligence community had warned the administration in advance that Iran was likely to close the Strait of Hormuz or launch retaliatory strikes against neighboring oil‑producing Gulf states.
- She reaffirmed prior intelligence assessments that U.S. June airstrikes had obliterated Iran’s nuclear program, but said it is the president’s responsibility to decide what constitutes an “imminent” threat, effectively sidestepping the core dispute raised by Joe Kent’s resignation.
- Gabbard refused to answer in public whether Russia is providing Iran with intelligence support, saying that topic belonged in the classified portion of the hearing.
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe directly rejected former NCTC Director Joe Kent’s claim that Iran posed “no imminent threat,” asserting Iran had been a constant threat and “posed an immediate threat at this time.”
1:05 PM
WATCH LIVE: Gabbard, Ratcliffe and Patel testify on worldwide threats in Senate Intelligence hearing
New information:
- Confirms the Wednesday Senate session is the annual worldwide‑threats hearing, with a follow‑on House Intelligence hearing Thursday.
- Reports that outdated targeting data, said to have come from the Defense Intelligence Agency, likely led to a U.S. missile hitting an elementary school in Iran and killing over 165 people.
- Notes the White House says the school strike remains under investigation.
- Adds that Gabbard publicly stated in a social media post that it is up to President Trump to decide whether Iran posed a threat, without stating her own view.
- Highlights that Kash Patel has fired dozens of FBI agents in his first year as director, sparking concern about loss of national‑security experience as terrorism threats rise.
- Mentions Patel’s first Hill appearance comes after video surfaced of him partying with members of the U.S. men’s hockey team following their Olympic gold medal, a clip that has fueled questions about his leadership style.
1:01 PM
Senate to question Trump intel leaders on Iran war after top official quits in protest
New information:
- Confirms the full roster of officials scheduled to testify: DNI Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel, NSA chief Lt. Gen. William Hartman, and DIA Director Lt. Gen. James Adams.
- Provides Joe Kent’s resignation quote in fuller form, including his explicit claim that the U.S. started the Iran war 'due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.'
- Includes Tulsi Gabbard’s public defense of Trump’s decision, emphasizing that after reviewing all intelligence he concluded Iran posed an 'imminent threat' and that she frames her role as coordinating information to support that decision.
- Details the leadership and partisan split on the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, naming Chair Sen. Tom Cotton and ranking member Sen. Mark Warner and quoting Warner’s view that Iran posed no imminent threat to America.
- Quotes Cotton saying he expects the war to last 'weeks, not days' and referencing 'hundreds, if not thousands, of strikes into Iran' every day, sharpening the picture of the war’s projected duration and intensity.
10:00 AM
Top intelligence officials to testify to Senate panel as Iran war escalates
New information:
- Confirms line-up and timing for the Senate Intelligence Committee 'worldwide threats' hearing: 10 a.m. Wednesday, with DNI Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel, NSA chief Lt. Gen. William Hartman and DIA Director Lt. Gen. James Adams testifying.
- Publishes detailed excerpts from National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent’s resignation letter, in which he says Iran posed 'no imminent threat' and claims the war was started due to 'pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.'
- Reports Kent’s allegation that a 'misinformation campaign' by high-ranking Israeli officials and some media outlets 'deceived' Trump into believing an imminent Iranian threat existed and that a swift victory was possible.
- Adds Tulsi Gabbard’s public response on X asserting that the president is responsible for determining what constitutes an imminent threat and that Trump concluded the 'terrorist Islamist regime in Iran' posed such a threat after reviewing the intelligence.
- Recaps the March 2025 U.S. intelligence community assessment stating it continued to assess that Iran was 'not building a nuclear weapon' and that Ali Khamenei had not reauthorized the program, though Iran had substantial missile, drone and regional strike capabilities.