Senate Intelligence Briefing: Iran Could Reach U.S. with Long-Range Missiles

U.S. lawmakers heard new briefing on Iran’s missile program during a March 18 hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Tulsi Gabbard, who was described in the session as the Director of the National Intelligence Directorate, and John Ratcliffe, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, reaffirmed assessments on how long Iran would need to develop missiles capable of reaching the United States, according to coverage in the New York Times.

Gabbard said Tehran could begin developing an intercontinental ballistic missile before 2035 if it chooses that path, arguing it would require blending technologies from Iran’s space program with its missile-development efforts. He declined to answer a question about whether Iran could launch a long-range attack within six months, saying determinations about imminent threats are a presidential prerogative.

Ratcliffe likewise declined to say whether Iran could strike the U.S. mainland within six months. He instead noted that Iran already has missiles capable of reaching Europe and that the Islamic Republic poses a threat to regional U.S. bases and interests in the Middle East.

During the briefing, Gabbard attributed broader strategic differences to other major powers as well, saying China and Russia possess systems able to penetrate or bypass U.S. missile defenses. He also argued that North Korea’s missiles have reached the U.S. mainland and that Pakistani missiles could potentially do so, while he did not specifically tie those points to Iran’s capabilities.

The exchanges occurred as former President Donald Trump claimed in a recent address that Iran is pursuing missiles that could soon reach the United States, and as lawmakers pressed whether intelligence assessments supported such immediacy.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton pressed Ratcliffe on whether the assessment that Iran could not yet threaten the homeland within six months was accurate. Ratcliffe acknowledged concerns about Iran’s missile program but did not say it had matured to threaten targets beyond Europe or the Pacific in the near term.

Ratcliffe warned that, even at a 3,000-kilometer range, an Iranian capability would threaten much of Europe, and preserving or expanding that program could, in his view, pave the way toward missiles capable of reaching the United States. He framed continued development as a potential shift in the security calculus for the region and for U.S. strategic planning.

For U.S. readers, the testimony highlights how intelligence judgments on Iran’s long-range missiles influence American defense budgeting, deterrence posture with allies, and policy options. It also underscores how advances in missile and space technologies feed into broader security considerations that touch on technology supply chains, regional stability in the Middle East, and the resilience of U.S. military bases abroad.