Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivers opening remarks at a House Intelligence Committee hearing, March 26, 2025. (Credit: video clipping)
In Tulsi Gabbard’s testimony regarding Iran’s nuclear program, there are indications of selective reporting or misrepresentation about what she said.
She noted, however, that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile was at unprecedented levels for a non-nuclear state and that public discussion of nuclear weapons in Iran had increased, potentially emboldening advocates within the regime.
.@DNIGabbard in March: “Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons.” pic.twitter.com/UZ2RN8YiV8
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 18, 2025
Some media reports have claimed the White House or media outlets deceptively edited or framed Gabbard’s testimony to suggest she warned Iran was closer to developing nuclear weapons
White House Deceptively Edits Tulsi Gabbard’s Testimony To Make It Look Like She Was Warning Iran Was Close to Nukeshttps://t.co/LCgp8LXQc9
— AustinBlue (@MakeTexasBlue22) June 19, 2025
(White House Deceptively Edits Tulsi Gabbard’s Testimony To Make It Look Like She Was Warning Iran Was Close to Nukes/Mediaite, 6/18/2025)
President Trump’s public dismissal of Gabbard’s assessment in June 2025, claiming Iran was “very close” to a nuclear weapon, created a narrative divergence. Gabbard responded by asserting she and Trump were “on the same page.”
DNI Gabbard tells us she and Trump are “on the same page” when it comes to Iran nuclear timeline
“Pres Trump was saying the same thing that I said in my annual threat assessment back in March. Unfortunately too many people in the media don’t care to actually read what I said”
— Sarah Ferris (@sarahnferris) June 17, 2025
On March 26, 2025, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivered opening remarks at a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing for the Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community. The complete opening statement is linked below and this is what she said about Iran:
Iran continues to seek to expand its influence in the Middle East, despite the degradation to its proxies and defenses during the Gaza conflict. Iran has developed and maintains ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and UAVs, including systems capable of striking U.S. targets and allies in the region. They’ve shown a willingness to use these weapons, including during a 2020 attack on US forces in Iraq and in attacks against Israel in April and October 2024. Iran’s cyber operations and capabilities also present a serious threat to U.S. networks and data. The IC continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme leader Khomeini has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003. We continue to monitor closely if Tehran decides to reauthorize its nuclear weapons program. In the past year, we’ve seen an erosion of a decades long taboo in Iran on discussing nuclear weapons in public likely emboldening nuclear weapons advocates within Iran’s decision-making apparatus. Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons. Iran will likely continue efforts to counter Israel and press for U.S. military withdrawal from the region by aiding, arming, and helping to reconstitute its loose consortium of like-minded terrorists, actors, which it refers to as its “Axis of Resistance.” Although weakened, this collection of actors still presents a wide range of threats including to Israel’s population, U.S. forces deployed in Iraq and Syria, as well as U.S. and international military and commercial shipping and transit.