US DNI Gabbard tells Senate: Iran regime intact but largely degraded — would rebuild missiles over years if leadership survives

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard appeared before the US Senate on March 18 and delivered a formal intelligence community assessment of Iran after 19 days of war. The assessment: the Iranian regime remains intact but has been largely degraded by US-Israeli strikes on its leadership and military capabilities. The intelligence community assessment is significant for several reasons: - It confirms from the US side that the leadership decapitation campaign has had material impact on Iran operational capacity, validating the scale of the effort - It also explicitly states the regime is intact — contradicting any Israeli claims that the campaign is close to toppling the government - Gabbard warned that if Iran leadership survived the war, it would begin a years-long effort to rebuild its missile and drone programs — suggesting the US views this as a multi-year strategic setback for Iran, not a permanent incapacitation The testimony comes as Iran President Pezeshkian confirmed the death of intelligence minister Khatib and mourned three senior officials killed since the war began: Khatib, Larijani, and Defense Minister Nasirzadeh (killed Day 1).