United States Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told lawmakers that Iran’s government remains intact but has been significantly weakened by Operation Epic Fury, the joint United States and Israeli military campaign that began on February 28. She said that despite the damage, Tehran and its regional allies are still capable of attacking United States and allied interests in the Middle East and would likely attempt to rebuild missile and drone forces if the current leadership survives.

The Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, focused largely on the third week of the war, exposed bipartisan frustration over limited information provided to Congress. Democratic lawmakers criticized the administration for failing to offer sufficient public briefings about a conflict that has cost billions of dollars and destabilized energy and financial markets.

The session also followed the resignation of Joe Kent, head of the National Counterterrorism Center, who stepped down in protest of the war. Kent wrote that he could not support the conflict, arguing that Iran posed no imminent threat, while Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe countered that Iran had long represented a serious and immediate danger.

Confusion persists over the status of Iran’s nuclear program and what President Donald Trump was told before the strikes. While Gabbard’s prepared remarks said Iran’s nuclear enrichment program had been obliterated, she later stated that Iran was attempting to recover damaged infrastructure. Lawmakers continue to question the intelligence assessments that informed the decision to enter the conflict, including warnings about possible retaliation and disruption to global shipping routes.