Iran was not rebuilding enrichment facilities, US intelligence chief confirms amid escalating war

2026-03-19 - 03:51

WASHINGTON – US intelligence officials have concluded that Iran was not attempting to rebuild its nuclear enrichment facilities, a claim that was made by President Donald Trump to initiate ongoing military action. Last year, Trump had claimed that the Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed completed in joint US-Israel strikes. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence and a Trump ally, recorded her testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee. She indicated that Iran’s leadership remains intact. In her prepared remarks, Gabbard referred to the June 2025 U.S. strike, codenamed “Operation Midnight Hammer”, stating that Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was “obliterated” and that there have been no efforts to restore it. While she did not explicitly repeat this conclusion on camera, she did not contradict it when questioned by a Democratic senator, citing limited time to review her full testimony. Trump has consistently defended his actions, claiming the February 28 joint U.S.-Israeli strike was necessary due to an “imminent threat” from Iran. After the June 2025 attack, he asserted that all Iranian nuclear sites had been destroyed. Nevertheless, he has continued to argue that Iran remains weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon, using this as justification for his military campaign. International observers, including the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, have not confirmed the existence of an immediate nuclear threat. Iran had been engaged in negotiations with Trump’s representatives just days prior to the strike, seeking a potential deal.