The Trump administration’s top national security officers will testify in back-to-back congressional hearings before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday at 10 a.m.
The officials are expected to be questioned over the war in Iran, the deadly strike on an all-girls’ school in the Southern region of the Islamic Republic, and on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) ability to prevent terror attacks within the U.S.
The officials testifying include the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel, Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. James Adams, and National Security Agency chief Lt. Gen. William Hartman.
The annual national security hearings involving the Trump administration’s senior-most intelligence officials come at a time of increased criticism of the U.S. military operations in the Middle East and increased concerns about terrorism within the U.S. following recent attacks in Texas and at a Michigan synagogue.
The hearings, which begin on Wednesday in the Senate before continuing into the House on Thursday, will allow senators to question national security officers for the first time about the Trump administration’s strategy in Iran and the “imminent” threats that President Donald Trump claims the Islamic nation posed before the conflict.
The hearings are expected to question officials about internal administration debate about the conflict following the resignation of the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, on Tuesday, in which he expressed in his resignation letter that he could not support the war “in good conscience.”
Gabbard and Ratcliffe may also be questioned over recent intelligence assessments about Iran, including one that revealed U.S. strikes are unlikely to result in regime change in Tehran, and another that cast doubt on claims Iran was preparing to strike first.
Patel’s leadership is also likely to be examined, as he has fired dozens of agents within his first year as director, drawing concerns about the agency’s capacity to defend the country as terrorism threats rise nationwide.
