Gabbard: U.S. and Israel have different goals in Iran conflict

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Thursday that the U.S. and Israel have different ultimate objectives in their joint military actions against Iran.

"The Israeli government has been focused on disabling the Iranian leadership," she said during a House Intelligence Committee hearing, pointing to strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other leaders.

In contrast, she said, President Trump was focused on eliminating the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missile production, and navy.

Rep. Julian Castro (D-TX) then pressed the director on whether such a misalignment could threaten a potential deal with the Islamic Republic.

"The death and destruction continues, the economic cost to the United States, to Israel, to the Gulf states, and to the world continues to increase," Rep. Castro said. "Do you know whether Israel is supportive of the president's call to make a deal with Iran?"

"I don't know Israel's position on that," Ms. Gabbard said.

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