Iran's government degraded but appears intact: US Director ‌of National Intelligence

Washington: Iran's government has been degraded since the war began on February 28, but it appears to be intact and Tehran and its proxies remain capable of attacking US and allies' interests in the Middle East, US Director ‌of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Wednesday.

"The regime in Iran appears to be intact but largely degraded by Operation Epic Fury," Gabbard said, referring ‌to the US-Israel military campaign against Iran, in her opening statement to the Senate Intelligence Committee's annual hearing on Worldwide Threats to the United States.

"Even so, Iran and its proxies remain capable of and continue ​to attack US and allied interests in the Middle East. If a hostile regime survives, it will seek to begin a years-long effort to rebuild its missiles and UAV (drone) forces," she said.

The hearing was expected to focus on the Iran war, now in its third week, as lawmakers - including some of President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans as well as Democrats - have said they want more information about an air campaign that has killed thousands of people, disrupted the lives of millions and shaken energy and stock markets.

Democrats in particular have ‌complained that the administration has not kept Congress adequately informed ⁠about a conflict that has cost US taxpayers billions, and demanded public testimony rather than classified briefings held in the past two weeks.

The testimony from officials including Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe is also likely 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 Center, 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."

The threat assessment Gabbard presented to the committee added to confusion over the state of Iran's nuclear program. Some administration officials said in the run-up to the war that Iran was weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon, one of the reasons given for starting the airstrikes.