Gabbard says Iran’s regime ‘degraded,’ won’t say it posed imminent threat

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified that the regime remains intact and Tehran and its proxies remain capable of attacking U.S. and allies' interests.

Iran’s government has been degraded since the war began on February 28, but it appears to be intact and Tehran and its proxies remain capable of attacking U.S. and allies’ interests in the Middle East, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Wednesday.

“The regime in Iran appears to be intact but largely degraded by Operation Epic Fury,” Gabbard said, referring to the U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran, in her opening statement to the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual hearing on Worldwide Threats to the United States.

“Even so, Iran and its proxies remain capable of and continue to attack U.S. and allied interests in the Middle East. If a hostile regime survives, it will seek to begin a years-long effort to rebuild its missiles and UAV (drone) forces,” Gabbard said.

Later, Gabbard deflected questions on whether Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, after claiming in her opening statement that there was no evidence the regime was seeking to rebuild its “obliterated” nuclear enrichment program.

The 2-1/2-hour hearing was the first significant public appearance since the start of the war by Gabbard, who has kept a low profile for months.

The hearing identified China, Russia, North Korea and Iran as top adversaries, but largely focused on the Iran war, now in its third week. Lawmakers – including some of President Donald Trump’s Republicans as well as Democrats – have said they want more information about a campaign that has killed thousands of people, disrupted the lives of millions and shaken energy and stock markets.

Democrats in particular have complained that Congress has not been adequately informed about a conflict costing U.S. taxpayers billions, and demanded public testimony rather than classified briefings held in the past two weeks.

“The complete lack of clarity should matter to everybody,” Democratic Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado said after a testy exchange with CIA Director John Ratcliffe about the U.S. plan for eliminating the threat from Iran.