Iranian Regime 'Degraded But Intact,' Could Rebuild Military If It Survives: Tulsi Gabbard

Last Updated:March 18, 2026, 23:04 IST

Gabbard said that Iran was not attempting to rebuild its nuclear enrichment capacities, which were destroyed last year in a US-led attack called Operation Midnight Hammer

The US Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, told senators on Wednesday that Iran had suffered significant blows in recent weeks, including the killing of longtime supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but remained fully functional as a state.

The US intelligence community “assesses the regime in Iran to be intact but largely degraded due to attacks on its leadership and military capabilities," Gabbard said in prepared testimony to the Senate intelligence committee.

She warned that despite the damage, Iran and its regional proxies remain capable of striking US 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," she added.

Gabbard further stressed that Iran was not attempting to rebuild its nuclear enrichment capacities, which were destroyed last year in a US-led attack called Operation Midnight Hammer.

“As a result of Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was obliterated. There has been no efforts since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability," she said.

The testimony appears to contradict US President Donald Trump’s justification for the February 28 attacks, which he said were aimed at preventing an “imminent" nuclear threat. The UN nuclear watchdog and independent observers have found no evidence that Iran was close to producing a bomb at the time.

Mixed Signals On War Outcomes

Gabbard, a Trump ally, offered nuanced views on the ongoing three-week conflict. While affirming the regime had been degraded, she noted Iran remained dangerous and capable of retaliatory attacks. Pressed by senators, she said she had not read her full testimony aloud during the hearing but did not dispute the assessment.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe told lawmakers that despite ongoing negotiations with the US prior to the strikes, Iran had shown “no intentions of following through" on nuclear agreements.

“It was very clear that Iran, while they were talking, they had no intentions of following through," Ratcliffe stated.

(With inputs from agencies)

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