US intel chief says Iran didn’t try to restart nuclear enrichment after last war, seemingly contradicting Trump

By Jacob Magid

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18 March 2026, 5:54 pm

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Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard (center) testifies before the US Senate Committee on Intelligence hearings to examine worldwide threats on Capitol Hill, March 18, 2026, in Washington, DC. (AP/Jose Luis Magana)

WASHINGTON — Seemingly contradicting US President Donald Trump, the US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard says that Iran did not try to rebuild its nuclear enrichment program following last year’s US strikes on its nuclear facilities during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.

“As a result of Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was obliterated. There has been no effort to try and rebuild their enrichment capability,” Gabbard writes in her statement that was presented to the Senate Intelligence Committee ahead of an ongoing hearing.

Trump has claimed in recent weeks that Iran was trying to rebuild its nuclear program following the operation in June 2025.

The Senate committee’s top Democrat notes that Gabbard did not include that revelation in the statement that she read aloud to the panel and asks if that was because she didn’t want to publicly contradict the president.

Gabbard responds that she chose to omit certain parts of her prepared statement as “time was running long.”