Top intelligence officials to testify to Senate panel as Iran war escalates

Joe Kent, who led the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned Tuesday, saying helium "cannot successful bully conscience enactment the ongoing warfare successful Iran." 

"Iran posed nary imminent menace to our nation, and it is wide that we started this warfare owed to unit from Israel and its almighty American lobby," Kent wrote successful his resignation missive to Mr. Trump. 

Kent accused high-ranking Israeli officials and immoderate successful the media of waging a "misinformation campaign" that was "used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent menace to the United States, and that should you onslaught now, determination was a wide way to a swift victory." 

"This was a lie," helium said, urging Mr. Trump to "reflect upon what we are doing successful Iran, and who we are doing it for." 

In a station connected X, Gabbard appeared to respond to Kent's letter, saying the president "is liable for determining what is and is not an imminent threat." 

"After cautiously reviewing each the accusation earlier him, President Trump concluded that the violent Islamist authorities successful Iran posed an imminent menace and helium took enactment based connected that conclusion," she said. 

Nearly a twelvemonth earlier the U.S. launched the existent warfare against Iran, the quality assemblage said successful its yearly appraisal that it continued "to measure Iran is not gathering a atomic weapon" and that then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had not reauthorized the program, "though unit has astir apt built connected him to bash so." 

"Khamenei continues to tendency to debar embroiling Iran successful an expanded, nonstop struggle with the United States and its allies," the March 2025 study said. 

A fewer months later, the U.S. became progressive successful the 12-day warfare betwixt Iran and Israel, bombing 3 Iranian atomic sites, which Mr. Trump claimed had "obliterated" its atomic program. 

Since the latest bombing run against Iran began connected Feb. 28, which killed Khamenei, Mr. Trump and different medication officials person claimed that the authorities posed an "imminent" menace to the U.S. 

The 2025 appraisal besides warned that Iran had fielded a ample fig of ballistic and cruise missiles, arsenic good arsenic unmanned drones, that had the quality to onslaught passim the region. 

"Iran's ample accepted forces are susceptible of inflicting important harm to an attacker, executing determination strikes, and disrupting shipping, peculiarly vigor supplies, done the Strait of Hormuz," the study said. 

Mr. Trump's spy chiefs volition attest to the Senate Intelligence Committee astatine its yearly proceeding connected planetary information threats facing the U.S. 

Their quality comes arsenic Democratic lawmakers telephone for Trump medication officials — specifically Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — to reply questions successful nationalist astir the rationale for the warfare with Iran and the administration's endgame. 

Instead, it volition beryllium Gabbard, Ratcliffe, Patel, Hartman and Adams successful the blistery spot arsenic the timeline for the extremity of the warfare remains unclear, justifications for the subject cognition person shifted and U.S. allies are reluctant to get involved. 

The yearly proceeding typically focuses connected threats from China, Russia and Iran, though last year's hearing was dominated by a Signal chat successful which Trump officials discussed delicate details astir subject strikes successful Yemen. 

Top U.S. counterterrorism authoritative resigns, says "Iran posed nary imminent menace to our nation"

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