US Strikes Iran’s Nuclear Facilities
On Saturday, National Director Tarsi Gabbard was present in the situation room when US forces executed a targeted strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. This was confirmed by White House officials to Fox News Digital on Sunday morning.
According to sources, Gabbard played a critical role as a key member of President Donald Trump’s National Security Team. There had been some speculation about a potential rift between Gabbard and Trump, especially after the president indicated in March that he was “wrong” about Iran’s nuclear capabilities and Gabbard’s subsequent testimony before the Senate that Iran was not actively producing nuclear weapons.
Photographs released from the situation room do not visibly show Gabbard alongside Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegses, although the White House confirmed her presence. The images lacked comprehensive shots that might clarify individual members’ participation.
In June, tensions escalated when Trump, responding to Gabbard’s earlier testimony regarding Iran, stated he believes that the country is nearing the capability to construct a nuclear weapon—though saying he, personally, “doesn’t mind” her statements from March.
On June 16, questioning Trump about Gabbard’s claims, he reaffirmed his position that Iran was “very close” to achieving nuclear weapons capability. Just the day before, he labeled Gabbard as “wrong,” contradicting the intelligence that had previously suggested Iran was not moving forward with nuclear development.
During her testimony in March, Gabbard remarked on Iran’s technological advancements and their ongoing cyber operations, which present threats to US infrastructure. She pointed out that while Iran was not actively developing nuclear weapons, the resources they possessed could enable such construction in the future.
Gabbard also took to social media, criticizing media outlets for allegedly misrepresenting her testimony, claiming they twisted her words to create misleading narratives. She clarified that the intelligence indicated Iran could produce nuclear weapons relatively quickly, stressing that she agrees with Trump that, as of now, that situation is unlikely.
Trump addressed the nation later that Saturday, celebrating what he termed a “magnificent military success” with the strikes on Iran’s key nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. He described their operations as a necessary measure to eliminate a significant nuclear threat from a regime historically hostile towards the US and its allies.
“For four decades, Iran has chanted ‘Death to America. Death to Israel,'” Trump said, emphasizing the long history of conflicts with Iran. While details on any further US intelligence remarks regarding the strikes were awaited, the situation continues to evolve.
