Reuters reports disruptions in US intelligence sharing on Iran under Trump

US intelligence sharing on Iran and other threats slowed and at times stopped within the federal government and with Congress during President Donald Trump's second term, Reuters reported from Washington on November 3, citing eight current and former officials and people briefed on the matter.

The disruptions developed while Tulsi Gabbard led the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, or ODNI, against a backdrop of friction with the CIA, Reuters said. Two US officials told the agency that problems continued after her June 2026 resignation, although the tensions had eased.

Iran was among the subjects affected by changes in joint analysis. Officials told Reuters the CIA stopped co-authoring National Intelligence Council assessments in 2025, leaving fewer reports that brought together intelligence agencies' views. Five current and former officials said no council assessment had focused on the Iran war.

The reported withdrawal did not end all cooperation: the CIA continued supplying intelligence to the council and collaborating on some reports. One intelligence official told Reuters that the agency had recently returned to co-authoring some assessments.

CIA spokesperson Liz Lyons told Reuters the agency "participates fully" in assessment work through both the council and the ODNI-led Presidential Daily Brief. An ODNI official said council output was near historical levels, disputing two people's accounts that production had slowed. No production figures were given to resolve that difference.

Congressional access was also interrupted, according to the Reuters report. Two people said lawmakers and their staff briefly stopped receiving reports from Gabbard's office after US military action in Iran in June 2025. Reuters said her team had accused lawmakers of leaking information to the press.

Separately, Reuters reported that Gabbard's office halted congressional briefings about election threats in 2025. Those briefings later resumed under Jay Clayton, whom ODNI says was sworn in as intelligence director on August 3, 2026.

ODNI's own description of its responsibilities explains the role of cross-agency coordination: its August 2025 statement said the office integrates intelligence and oversees 18 intelligence-community bodies, with the aim of delivering timely, accurate and politically independent information to policymakers.

That statement also announced Gabbard's ODNI 2.0 restructuring plan. It set a target of shrinking the office by more than 40% before fiscal 2025 ended and projected annual savings exceeding $700 million. The announcement did not establish whether those targets were met.

Reuters also cited two former officials and one serving official who said some analysts avoided conclusions that conflicted with White House views because they feared political retaliation. They did not identify the subjects involved. The White House did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.