Acting NSA Director William Hartman, FBI Director Kash Patel, DNI Director Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and DIA Director James Adams attend a House Intelligence Committee hearing on global threats at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 19, 2026. [Reuters/Kylie Cooper]

The war aims of the United States and Israel against Iran differ, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Thursday, March 19. While Israel is focused on neutralizing the Iranian leadership, President Donald Trump is focused on destroying Iran's ballistic missile program and navy.

"The objectives set by the President are different from those set by the Israeli government," Gabbard said at the House Intelligence Committee's annual hearing on global threats to the U.S.

"We see that through this operation, the Israeli government has focused on neutralizing the Iranian leadership. The President has stated that the objective is to destroy Iran's ballistic missile launch capability, ballistic missile production capability, and navy," she said.

The U.S. and Israel have made multiple attempts to emphasize close cooperation in joint airstrikes against Iran, but officials from both sides have acknowledged that their objectives were not identical.

As the conflict enters its third week, Israel has led airstrikes targeting Iranian clerics and military leaders, while the U.S. has focused on attacking facilities related to Iran's missile program.

The divergence in the two countries' stances became apparent on Wednesday night, March 18, when President Trump stated in a social media post that Washington "knew nothing" about Israel's attack on Iran's South Pars gas field, and that Israel would not attack the gas field further unless Iran attacked Qatar's energy infrastructure.

The House hearing on Thursday followed a Senate hearing on Wednesday, with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Lt. Gen. James Adams, and Acting Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) Lt. Gen. William Hartman appearing as witnesses.

In both hearings, Gabbard was questioned about whether she believed Iran posed an "imminent" threat to the U.S. that would justify the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, which began on February 28.

Gabbard stated in both hearings that it is entirely up to President Trump to determine whether the U.S. faces an imminent threat.

Meanwhile, she revealed that the U.S. is facing an increasing missile threat from hostile nations.

Appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, Gabbard said that hostile nations, including China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan, are rapidly expanding their missile capabilities, putting the U.S. at risk.

Gabbard assessed that "China is likely to seek to avoid armed conflict and ultimately create conditions for peaceful unification with Taiwan," while noting that North Korea is "a cause for concern regionally and globally, as the North Korean regime grows increasingly confident."

"North Korea's WMD, conventional military strength, illicit cyber activities, and willingness to employ asymmetric warfare pose a threat to the United States and its allies, particularly South Korea and Japan," she said. "The partnership between North Korea and Russia is strengthening, and in 2025, Kim Jong Un took steps to improve relations with China, North Korea's most important trading partner and economic benefactor."

"North Korea has augmented its military capabilities by gaining combat experience and equipment needed for 21st-century warfare through its support for Russia in its war in Ukraine," she said, adding that "in 2024, it dispatched over 11,000 troops to Russia to support operations in the Battle of Kursk."

Gabbard pointed out that "Pyongyang continues its strategic weapons development program, including missiles that can evade U.S. and regional missile defense systems, and is also working to increase its stockpile of nuclear warheads." "It also possesses biochemical weapon capabilities that can be used in conflict or in irregular or covert attacks."

The latest annual threat assessment from intelligence agencies indicates that the number of missiles capable of reaching the U.S. could increase from over 3,000 currently to more than 16,000 by 2035, highlighting the urgency of strengthening national defense.

The '2026 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community' report highlights North Korea's successful testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking the U.S., and Iran's development of space launch technology that could be adapted for future long-range ICBMs.

Pakistan's missile development program could eventually threaten the U.S. mainland.

Meanwhile, Russia and China are continuously strengthening both traditional and next-generation missile systems, including hypersonic weapons designed to evade existing defenses.

Amid escalating threats, President Donald Trump is pushing for a homeland defense plan known as "Golden Dome," a missile defense system partly modeled after Israel's Iron Dome.

Experts warn that the missile threat is no longer limited to traditional ballistic missiles.

The rapid proliferation of drones, often cheaper and harder to track, presents another complexity.

Iran has played a significant role in the proliferation of drone technology, supplying systems to numerous countries, including Russia, while also expanding its own capabilities.

According to intelligence reports, U.S. adversaries are closely watching U.S. defense plans and are likely to adjust their strategies accordingly, leading to an intensified arms race.

Gabbard stated that missile defense must be a top priority, as the risk to the U.S. homeland may increase over the next decade.

U.S. NNP=Reporter Sung Ku Hong / Special Contribution NNP info@newsandpost.com