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Trump administration defends Iran strike amid skepticism on Capitol Hill

Trump administration defends Iran strike amid skepticism on Capitol Hill
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Updated: 10:18 PM CDT Jun 26, 2025
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Trump administration defends Iran strike amid skepticism on Capitol Hill
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Updated: 10:18 PM CDT Jun 26, 2025
Editorial Standards
Trump administration officials briefed Congress Thursday on the U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, defending the strike's effectiveness amid a leaked intelligence report suggesting limited impact. The president's national security team met with senators behind closed doors on Capitol Hill, publicly praising the U.S. strikes on Iran but offering few new details on the impact.According to a White House official, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were on Capitol Hill Thursday for the briefing, but not the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) expressed disappointment about Gabbard's absence, saying, "I'm disappointed we may be lacking some of the real factual background that's essential to evaluate how much of the job remains to be done in stopping a nuclear-armed Iran."Republicans left the briefings saying Iran's nuclear program had been significantly set back, while Democrats remained skeptical about the extent of the damage and sought answers on how the administration will prevent Iran from making weapons moving forward.The administration held briefings from both the White House and Pentagon Thursday, downplaying a leaked assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency. According to AP sources, the report suggests Iran's nuclear program has only been set back a few months after the U.S. strikes, and key facilities were not totally destroyed.Hegseth said, "I'm looking at it right now. Again, it was preliminary. A day and a half after the actual strike."When pressed on how the administration is drawing its conclusions, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told White House Correspondent Kalyn Norwood, "I can assure you what the CIA director said when we look at the entirety of the intelligence that we have to this date, it concludes that these strikes on the Iranian, these Iranian nuclear facilities were absolutely successful. It was a total obliteration, as the president said."The White House says it will limit the information shared with Congress moving forward after the leak of that document. On Thursday, Capitol Hill was bipartisan in its condemnation of the leak. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation into the source of the leak.

Trump administration officials briefed Congress Thursday on the U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, defending the strike's effectiveness amid a leaked intelligence report suggesting limited impact. The president's national security team met with senators behind closed doors on Capitol Hill, publicly praising the U.S. strikes on Iran but offering few new details on the impact.

According to a White House official, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were on Capitol Hill Thursday for the briefing, but not the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) expressed disappointment about Gabbard's absence, saying, "I'm disappointed we may be lacking some of the real factual background that's essential to evaluate how much of the job remains to be done in stopping a nuclear-armed Iran."

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Republicans left the briefings saying Iran's nuclear program had been significantly set back, while Democrats remained skeptical about the extent of the damage and sought answers on how the administration will prevent Iran from making weapons moving forward.

The administration held briefings from both the White House and Pentagon Thursday, downplaying a leaked assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency. According to AP sources, the report suggests Iran's nuclear program has only been set back a few months after the U.S. strikes, and key facilities were not totally destroyed.

Hegseth said, "I'm looking at it right now. Again, it was preliminary. A day and a half after the actual strike."

When pressed on how the administration is drawing its conclusions, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told White House Correspondent Kalyn Norwood, "I can assure you what the CIA director said when we look at the entirety of the intelligence that we have to this date, it concludes that these strikes on the Iranian, these Iranian nuclear facilities were absolutely successful. It was a total obliteration, as the president said."

The White House says it will limit the information shared with Congress moving forward after the leak of that document. On Thursday, Capitol Hill was bipartisan in its condemnation of the leak. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation into the source of the leak.