U.S. Intelligence Contradicts Trump’s War Justification, Says Iran Not Rebuilding Nuclear Program

The United States intelligence community has concluded that Iran is not rebuilding its nuclear enrichment infrastructure destroyed during a joint U.S.-Israeli military offensive in June 2025, a position that sharply contradicts the justification for the ongoing war advanced by President Donald Trump.

The disclosure was made on Wednesday, March 18, in written testimony submitted to the Senate Intelligence Committee by the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.

The assessment formed part of the U.S. government’s annual threat review but was notably absent from her oral remarks before lawmakers.

According to Gabbard, the military operation, code-named “Operation Midnight Hammer”, had effectively crippled Iran’s nuclear programme.

“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,” she stated in the written submission, according to The Straits Times.

Her testimony, however, comes amid growing internal dissent within the U.S. national security establishment over the war, which critics argue lacks a credible basis.

Despite the scale of the attacks, which reportedly included the killing of Iran’s long-time Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, Gabbard told lawmakers that the Iranian state remains operational, albeit significantly weakened.

“The U.S. intelligence community assesses the regime in Iran to be intact but largely degraded due to attacks on its leadership and military capabilities,” she said.

She added that any surviving government in Tehran would likely embark on a prolonged effort to rebuild its military strength, including missile systems and unmanned aerial vehicles.

This comes a day after the Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, Joseph Kent, resigned his position, openly distancing himself from the administration’s Iran policy.

In his resignation letter, Kent said his decision followed “much reflection,” stressing that it takes immediate effect.

“After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today,” he wrote.

Kent stated that he could no longer support the administration’s military engagement with Iran, insisting that the country did not constitute an imminent threat to U.S. national security.

“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” he said.

He further alleged that U.S. leadership had been misled by what he described as coordinated pressure from Israeli officials and segments of the American media.

“This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory. This was a lie,” Kent wrote, drawing parallels with the events that led to the Iraq War.

Reflecting on his military background, Kent highlighted the human cost of prolonged conflicts, noting that his position was shaped by personal loss and battlefield experience.

“As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives,” he said.

He urged Trump to reconsider the ongoing military campaign, warning of far-reaching consequences if the current trajectory is maintained.