The Wall Street Journal reports that then-Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard warned President Trump on the eve of the war that assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei could lead to a more hardline successor regime willing to develop nuclear weapons. Gabbard also cautioned that Iran would close the Strait of Hormuz and attack US forces at bases across the Middle East in retaliation.
A new Wall Street Journal report reveals the specific warnings then-Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivered to President Trump on the eve of the war with Iran. According to the report, Gabbard assessed that killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would likely bring a more hardline successor to power, one more open to developing nuclear weapons. She further warned that Iran would retaliate by closing the Strait of Hormuz and attacking US forces at bases across the Middle East.
The report adds granular detail to a story The Zioneer covered earlier today — that Trump was warned about the risks of eliminating Khamenei but was ultimately persuaded by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's argument that the Iranian regime was at an unprecedented strategic low. While earlier reports described the general warning, the new account names Gabbard and the specific scenarios she raised.
The Strait of Hormuz contingency aligns with prior intelligence assessments. In June, CNN reported that US intelligence believes Iran can close the waterway at will and that the US military cannot reopen it by force.
5 developments
- DevelopingWSJ: Gabbard, Vance urged caution before Trump launched Iran war
- StrongIran's security chief says revenge file for Khamenei is open, threatens Trump
- DevelopingReport: US intelligence warns Iran's Mojtaba Khamenei more willing to build nuclear bomb
- DevelopingAnalysis: Trump knows Iran will avenge Khamenei assassination, fears being in crosshairs
Source and signal
- Open-source intake