US senators are questioning top aides to President Donald Trump in public about national security nearly three weeks into the Iran war, as the Senate intelligence committee holds its annual hearing on worldwide threats to the United States.
The hearing on Capitol Hill is focused on the Middle East war that began on February 28, as lawmakers, including some of Trump's fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, have said they want more information about a war that has killed thousands of people, disrupted the lives of millions, and shaken energy and stock markets.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the United States has seen no effort by Iran to rebuild its nuclear enrichment capability after the June strikes that she said “obliterated” the programme.
She warned that if the Iranian establishement survives, it is likely to begin a years-long effort to restore its missile and drone forces, according to Reuters.
Gabbard added that the Iranian ruling establishment appears intact but significantly degraded by the US military operation, while the White House said Trump retains full confidence in her, according to Fox News.
The testimony from officials, including Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, is expected to touch on the shock announcement on Tuesday that a top aide to Gabbard had resigned, citing the war.
Joe Kent, who headed the National Counterterrorism Centre, is the first senior official in Trump's administration to resign over the conflict.
The Office of the DNI oversees the counterterrorism center and Kent is close with Gabbard, who has kept a low profile since the Iran war began.
"I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful lobby," Kent wrote in a letter posted to social media.
The White House rejected Kent's assertion, saying his letter included "false claims."
Strikes spark blowback
Questions have swirled around what Trump was told before he decided to join with Israel in striking Iran.
Sources familiar with US intelligence reports have said Trump was warned, for example, that attacking Iran could trigger retaliation against US Gulf allies despite his claims that Tehran's reaction came as a surprise.
Trump was also briefed ahead of the operation that Tehran would likely seek to close the Strait of Hormuz, according to two other sources familiar with the matter.
Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the committee's Democratic vice chairman, called the conflict a war of choice.
"There was no imminent threat to the United States, and I don't believe there was even an imminent threat to Israel from Iran," he said on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
The House of Representatives intelligence committee is due to hold its worldwide threats hearing on Thursday.
