Washington, March 18 (IANS) Iran is seeking intelligence support from US adversaries, CIA Director John Ratcliffe told lawmakers on Wednesday, flagging a new dimension to the conflict as Tehran looks outward for strategic backing.​

“The Iranians are requesting intelligence assistance from Russia, from China, and from other adversaries of the United States, and whether or not those countries are [providing assistance] is something we can talk about in the classified portion,” Ratcliffe said during the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats.​

Ratcliffe’s remarks came as lawmakers pressed intelligence officials on the evolving scope of the Iran conflict and the risk of broader geopolitical entanglement involving major powers.​

He said Iran continued to pose a persistent and immediate threat, rejecting any suggestion that Tehran had scaled back its ambitions. “Senator, no. In fact, the intelligence reflects the contrary,” Ratcliffe said when asked whether Iran had ceased its nuclear or missile efforts.​

Ratcliffe also underscored concerns about Iran’s missile programme, warning that its technological progress could eventually extend its reach. He noted that Tehran was “gaining experience in these larger, more powerful booster technologies through its so-called space launch vehicle program.”​

“If left unimpeded, yes, Senator, they would have the ability to range missiles to the continental US,” he said, adding that degrading Iran’s missile production capabilities under Operation Epic Fury was “so important to our national security.”​

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told the panel that the intelligence community had consistently tracked the risks posed by Iran and provided ongoing assessments to policymakers.​

“The IC assessment has always taken very seriously the threat of the Iranian regime’s missile capabilities very seriously and how our American troops within the region may be put at risk,” she said.​

Gabbard also pointed to long-standing intelligence assessments about Iran’s ability to disrupt global energy flows. “Those of us here at the table can point to the fact that historically the Iranians have always threatened to leverage their control of the Strait of Hormuz,” she said.​

She added that the intelligence community had “continued to provide the intelligence related to this operation in Iran before and on an ongoing basis” to inform decision-making.​

Ratcliffe said Iran had also developed plans to target US-linked interests in the region. “Iran had specific plans to hit US interests in energy sites across the region,” he said, noting that advance measures were taken for “force protection and personnel protection” ahead of Operation Epic Fury.​

The exchanges reflected growing concern among lawmakers that the conflict could widen, especially if Iran deepens coordination with countries such as Russia and China.​

At the same time, intelligence officials maintained that the United States had anticipated key elements of Iran’s response. ​

Gabbard said the intelligence community had “continued to assess the potential threats to the region, the existing threats to the region, and provide those assessments to the policymakers and decision makers.”​

Responding to questions, Ratcliffe reiterated that Iran has been “a constant threat to the United States for an extended period of time and posed an immediate threat at this time,” highlighting the stakes for US national security as the situation continues to evolve.

--IANS

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