WASHINGTON, June 26. /TASS/. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has been largely sidelined from work related to the Iranian nuclear program and the Iran-Israel conflict following criticism from President Donald Trump, The Washington Post reported, citing sources.
In March, during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Gabbard stated that US intelligence agencies had found no evidence that Iran was pursuing nuclear weapons. She also asserted that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had not authorized the revival of the country’s nuclear weapons program, which was suspended in 2003. Trump publicly criticized Gabbard’s assessments, labeling them as "wrong."
According to sources, she has since been kept out of key decision-making processes concerning US policy on Iran’s nuclear program. However, White House officials maintain that Gabbard continues to perform important duties in her role as intelligence chief.
Gabbard will also not be present at the closed-door briefings scheduled for Thursday and Friday for members of the US Senate and House of Representatives, where the administration is expected to update lawmakers on the outcomes of recent US strikes on Iran and the current status of its nuclear program. CIA Director John Ratcliffe is expected to take the lead in representing the intelligence community during these sessions.
According to the newspaper, the Trump administration plans to significantly restrict the sharing of classified information with Congress following leaks of preliminary intelligence assessments to the media. These leaks indicate that Iran’s nuclear facilities were not completely destroyed. Despite this, President Trump has continued to insist that Iran’s nuclear program has been entirely eliminated.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer criticized the administration for imposing such restrictions. "The Administration has no right to stonewall Congress on matters of national security. Our intelligence community must seek the truth and speak the truth. The Administration has a legal obligation to inform Congress precisely about what is happening right now abroad," he stated.
Iran-Israel escalation
In the early morning hours of June 13, Israel launched a military operation against Iran. Less than 24 hours later, Iran retaliated. Nine days later, on the morning of June 22, US jets attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities, entering the conflict. The following evening, Tehran launched a missile strike on Al Udeid, the largest US military airbase in the region, located in Qatar. According to the US authorities, there were no casualties or significant damage.
On June 24, Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a complete ceasefire. The Israeli authorities confirmed that they had accepted the US proposal and announced that they had completed all objectives in their operation against Iran. In turn, Tehran said that it had achieved a victory over Tel Aviv by forcing it to unilaterally halt its aggression.