Fact Check: "Tulsi Gabbard testified that Iran was not building a nuclear bomb"
What We Know
On March 26, 2025, Tulsi Gabbard, then Director of National Intelligence, delivered an opening statement at a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing. During her testimony, she stated that Iran had not restarted its nuclear weapons program, which had been halted in 2003 (DNI Gabbard Opening Statement, Gabbard: Iran did not restart nuclear weapons program). This assertion aligns with the broader assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, which concluded that Iran was not actively pursuing the development of nuclear weapons at that time (America's spies say Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon).
Gabbard's statements were later scrutinized, particularly after she suggested that Iran could produce a nuclear weapon "within weeks" in June 2025, following criticism from President Trump (Tulsi Gabbard now says Iran could produce nuclear weapon 'within weeks'). However, her original claim during the March testimony remains a documented fact.
Analysis
The reliability of Gabbard's initial testimony can be supported by multiple sources from the intelligence community, which consistently indicated that Iran was not in the process of building a nuclear bomb (America's spies say Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon, Tulsi Gabbard Says Iran Not Believed to be Building a Nuclear ...). The context of her statements is crucial; they were made during a formal assessment of national security threats, which typically relies on comprehensive intelligence analysis.
However, the subsequent shift in Gabbard's position raises questions about the consistency of her statements. After facing backlash from President Trump, who claimed that Iran had a "tremendous amount of material" and was close to developing a nuclear weapon, Gabbard's remarks changed, suggesting that her earlier statements were taken out of context (Tulsi Gabbard now says Iran could produce nuclear weapon 'within weeks', Trump, Gabbard Comments on Iran Nuclear Capability). This inconsistency may indicate a response to political pressure rather than a change in the underlying intelligence assessment.
The sources used in this analysis are credible, with the primary testimony being from a government official and corroborated by established news outlets and intelligence assessments. However, the potential for bias exists, especially given the politically charged environment surrounding discussions of Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Conclusion
The claim that "Tulsi Gabbard testified that Iran was not building a nuclear bomb" is True. Gabbard's March 2025 testimony explicitly stated that Iran had not restarted its nuclear weapons program, a position supported by the U.S. Intelligence Community's assessments at that time. While her later comments introduced ambiguity, they do not negate the factual basis of her original statement.
Sources
- DNI Gabbard Opening Statement as Delivered to the ...
- Gabbard: Iran did not restart nuclear weapons program
- Tulsi Gabbard now says Iran could produce nuclear ...
- America's spies say Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon. ...
- June 18, 2025 – What Tulsi Gabbard actually said in her ...
- Tulsi Gabbard on Iran's nuclear capabilities
- Tulsi Gabbard Says Iran Not Believed to be Building a Nuclear ...
- Trump, Gabbard Comments on Iran Nuclear Capability
