Media reports Pentagon, US intel directors excluded from Iran Israel talks

(MENAFN) President Donald Trump has excluded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard from key discussions regarding the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, according to reports from NBC News and the Washington Post, citing senior administration sources.

Gabbard’s removal reportedly follows her public and private disagreements with the official U.S. and Israeli claims that Iran is close to acquiring nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Hegseth has also been pushed out of operational talks, with two four-star generals now leading the deployment of additional U.S. military forces in the Middle East, the Washington Post reported.

Trump is said to be relying on a smaller, more seasoned advisory team—dubbed the ‘Tier One’ group—comprising Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine. This group is reportedly driving U.S. policy on Iran, sidelining the usual civilian defense and intelligence leaders.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell denied these claims, stating that Hegseth is in regular contact with the president and has been present with him in the Situation Room throughout the week. Gabbard also told reporters that she and Trump remain aligned.

Last week, Israel launched extensive airstrikes against Iranian nuclear sites, alleging Tehran was nearing nuclear weapon capability. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will decide within two weeks whether the U.S. will join Israel’s military efforts.

Despite these claims, U.S. intelligence continues to assess that Iran, while increasing uranium enrichment, has not made definitive moves toward building nuclear weapons. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, affirmed this position remains unchanged since March, when Gabbard informed Congress that the intelligence community does not believe Iran is pursuing a nuclear bomb.

Contradicting this, Trump recently stated Iran is only “weeks away” from obtaining nuclear weapons and dismissed Gabbard’s assessment with, “I don’t care what she said.”

Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and Iraq War veteran, has been critical of the U.S. intelligence community under her oversight and is known for supporting whistleblower Edward Snowden. Her decision to release a video highlighting the horrors of nuclear war after visiting Hiroshima reportedly upset Trump’s advisers. Her absence from a crucial Iran policy meeting on June 8 at Camp David has sparked speculation about her waning influence, with multiple sources telling NBC she has been excluded from recent strategic talks.

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