Iran was not rebuilding nuclear enrichment, US intelligence finds

Iran's nuclear enriching capabilities were destroyed during the June 2025 US-Israeli attack. Read more at straitstimes.com.

WASHINGTON – US intelligence concluded on March 18 that Iran was not rebuilding nuclear enrichment capacities that were destroyed in a June 2025 US-Israeli attack, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s justifications for his ongoing war.

Ms Tulsi Gabbard, a Trump ally who is director of national intelligence, shared the conclusion in written testimony as part of an annual threat assessment but did not repeat the finding when speaking to senators.

“As a result of Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme was obliterated. There has been no efforts since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability,” Ms Gabbard said, in testimony to the Senate intelligence committee.

Pressed by a Democratic senator on why she did not repeat the conclusion on camera, Ms Gabbard said that she did not have enough time to read the full testimony at the hearing but did not deny the assessment.

Mr Trump has repeatedly said that he ordered the attack on Iran alongside Israel on Feb 28 due to an “imminent threat”.

Mr Trump said after the June 2025 bombing that the US had completely destroyed Iran’s nuclear sites but since his latest war has said that Tehran was weeks away from a nuclear bomb, a finding not shared by most observers and despite ongoing talks on a nuclear deal.