Former US spy chief Gabbard warned Trump killing Khamenei could empower radical regime - WSJ

Before the US-Israel war with Iran, then-intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard warned President Trump that killing Ayatollah Khamenei could empower a more radical regime seeking nuclear weapons. She also cautioned that Iran might close the Strait of Hormuz, endangering global energy markets, and that an attack could lead to attacks on US forces and allies.

Before the February 2026 attack that started the US-Israel war with Iran, then-Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard warned President Donald Trump that killing Iran's former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, could result in him being replaced by a more radical regime with greater interest in acquiring nuclear weapons, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Gabbard cautioned Trump in an Oval Office meeting that Iran might swiftly close the Strait of Hormuz, jeopardizing the global energy market, and that targeting Iran could lead to attacks on US forces and allies, raising questions about American reliability. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, and CENTCOM head Adm. Brad Cooper briefed Trump several times on strike plans aimed at weakening the Islamic Republic. Vice President JD Vance advocated for negotiations, arguing Iran's struggling economy might be swayed to dismantle its nuclear program. Trump ultimately dismissed the warnings, echoing Hegseth and Caine's confidence that the military could handle complications. Six months into the war, military clashes have paused but disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's nuclear assets, and sanctions persist.