Trump Restricts Congressional Access to Intelligence After Iran Strike Leak
The Trump administration is limiting Congress’s access to classified intelligence after a leaked report downplayed the impact of U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, prompting a criminal investigation and strong condemnation from officials. The move has sparked tensions as conflicting assessments emerge about the strikes’ effectiveness.
The Trump administration has decided to restrict Congress's access to classified intelligence following a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment that contradicted President Trump’s claims about recent U.S. military strikes on Iran. The leaked report suggested that the bombing of three Iranian nuclear facilities; Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz only delayed Iran’s nuclear program by a few months, rather than achieving the "complete destruction" Trump announced publicly. The strikes, executed with B-2 bombers and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles carrying earth-penetrating munitions, targeted heavily fortified sites, including the mountain-encased Fordow facility.
Infuriated by the leak, Trump has ordered a reduction in intelligence sharing through CAPNET, the classified system used by Congress. A senior administration official declared, “We are declaring a war on leakers,” signalling a crackdown on unauthorized disclosures. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the report as “flat-out wrong,” attributing the leak to “an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community.” She emphasized on X, “Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a Pentagon criminal investigation, describing the assessment as “preliminary” and “low confidence.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled the leakers “professional stabbers,” while Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, called the leak “treasonous” on Fox News, stating, “Leaking that type of information, whatever the information, whatever side it comes out on, is outrageous. It’s treasonous. It ought to be investigated, and whoever’s responsible for it should be held accountable. It could hurt lives in the future. Leaking is a completely unacceptable thing.”
DIA officials noted their assessment relied on early bomb damage evaluations, cautioning that other agencies might reach different conclusions. Meanwhile, Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission claimed the strikes set back Iran’s nuclear ambitions by “many years,” though it offered no evidence. Senate lawmakers are set to receive a classified briefing today, with House members scheduled for Friday.