"We can see through the operations that the Israeli government has been focused on disabling the Iranian leadership. The president has stated that his objectives are to destroy Iran's ballistic missiles launching capability, their ballistic missile production capability, and their navy," she said. The Republican president's administration has given conflicting messages about the state of Iran's nuclear program. Joe Kent, who headed the National Counterterrorism Center, on Tuesday became the first senior official in Trump's administration to resign over the Iran War, saying Iran posed no imminent threat to the US. Gabbard said in both hearings that it was solely up to Trump to determine whether the United States faces an imminent threat.

Source: Irish Independent March 20, 2026 08:19 UTC