Gabbard sidesteps Iran ‘imminent threat’ claim under Senate grilling
Gabbard tells senators only Trump can determine 'imminent threat' while John Ratcliffe affirms Iran danger
By Morgan Phillips Fox News
Published March 18, 2026 6:38pm EDT
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declined to say whether intelligence showed that Iran posed an "imminent threat" to the U.S. prior to the launch of recent offensive operations, as President Donald Trump repeatedly has asserted.
"Was it the assessment of the intelligence community that there was an ‘imminent nuclear threat’ posed by the Iranian regime? Yes or no?" Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., asked Gabbard during the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual worldwide threats hearing Wednesday.
"The only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the president," Gabbard said.
The White House has repeatedly argued Iran’s nuclear stockpiles and ballistic missile capacity pose an imminent threat to the U.S.
"Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime," Trump said March 1.
Ossoff pressed Gabbard further Wednesday: "Was it the intelligence community’s assessment … there was an ‘imminent nuclear threat’? Yes or no?"
"It is not the intelligence community’s responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat," Gabbard said.
Gabbard highlighted the impact of U.S. operations in Iran.
"The IC assesses that Operation Epic Fury is advancing fundamental change in the region," she said. Iran’s "conventional military power projection capabilities have largely been destroyed, leaving limited options. Iran’s strategic position has been significantly degraded."
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