Gabbard confirms assessment that Iran’s nuclear enrichment was “obliterated” in strikes last year

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard reiterated at a Senate hearing Wednesday that the intelligence community assessed that Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was “obliterated” in strikes against Iran last year.

“So the assessment of the intelligence community is that Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was obliterated by last summer’s air strikes,” Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia asked Gabbard.

“Yes,” she responded.

Ossoff asked her whether there had been “no effort since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability.”

“Correct?” he asked.

“That’s right,” she said.

Ossoff also asked whether the intelligence community assessed that there was an imminent nuclear threat posed by the regime. Gabbard said Iran “maintained the intention to rebuild and to continue to grow their nuclear enrichment” and only the president “can determine what is and is not an imminent threat.”

“It is not the intelligence community’s responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat,” Gabbard said. “That is up to the president, based on a volume of information that he receives.”