US intel chief contradicts Trump’s Iran war claims

WASHINGTON (MNTV) — US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has acknowledged that Iran was not rebuilding its nuclear enrichment program prior to the current war, directly contradicting one of the central justifications used by President Donald Trump to launch war alongside Israel.

In written testimony submitted to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Gabbard stated that US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025 had effectively dismantled Tehran’s enrichment capabilities, adding that there had been no attempts to restore them since.

The admission sharply undercuts repeated claims by the Trump administration that Iran’s nuclear ambitions posed an imminent threat requiring urgent military intervention.

Notably, Gabbard did not read this portion of her testimony during her public appearance. When questioned, she attributed the omission to time constraints, a response that drew criticism from lawmakers. Senator Mark Warner accused her of deliberately leaving out details that contradict the administration’s narrative.

The revelation adds to growing scrutiny over Washington’s shifting and often inconsistent justifications for the war, which have ranged from nuclear concerns to missile capabilities and alleged threats to Israel and US forces.

Analysts and international observers have long argued that none of these claims met the legal threshold of an “imminent threat,” a key requirement under international and US law for initiating military action.

Tehran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons, and independent monitors have maintained that even if such ambitions existed, they did not pose an immediate danger.

Reports from diplomatic sources, including mediation efforts led by Oman and assessments cited by The Guardian, suggest that negotiations with Iran were progressing prior to the outbreak of war, further challenging the rationale for military escalation.

Despite the White House claiming Iran’s military has been effectively dismantled, Gabbard presented a more restrained assessment, saying the country has been heavily weakened but not defeated.

She noted that even after the killings of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior figures such as Ali Larijani, the Iranian state remains intact and retains the ability to respond.

She warned that Iran and its regional allies continue to possess the ability to target US and allied interests, particularly across the Middle East.

Gabbard also noted that Iran, alongside countries such as Russia and China, continues to develop advanced missile systems. However, arms control experts have indicated that any potential Iranian capability to strike the United States directly remains years, if not decades, away.

The testimony comes amid internal dissent within the administration, highlighted by the resignation of National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who similarly stated that Iran posed no immediate threat and accused the government of entering the war under external pressure.

Gabbard’s position is particularly notable given her political trajectory. A former Democratic congresswoman who later aligned herself with Trump, she had previously built a reputation as a critic of prolonged US military interventions in the Middle East.

Her support for Trump was partly rooted in his stated opposition to foreign wars. However, since assuming her current role, she has defended the president’s authority to determine threats and justify military action, even as intelligence assessments appear to contradict the administration’s public claims.

Critics argue that the contradiction between intelligence findings and political messaging exposes a deliberate effort by the US and Israel to manufacture a pretext for war, with devastating consequences across the region.