USA22 May, 20262 min read
Tulsi Gabbard Resigns As Trump’s Director Of National Intelligence Amid Iran Policy Shake-Up
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Tulsi Gabbard resigns as Director of National Intelligence. Resignation takes effect June 30, 2026.
Gabbard Quits DNI
Tulsi Gabbard resigned as Director of National Intelligence in President Donald Trump’s administration, with News18 saying the move signaled a major White House shake-up over US policy toward Iran. Firstpost reported that Gabbard’s resignation is effective June 30, 2026, and that in her resignation letter posted on X she wrote, "Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026."
“Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026.”
Firstpost also said Gabbard cited her husband’s recent diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer and added, "I cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming post." News18 said Gabbard had served as Trump’s top intelligence official since February 2025 after being confirmed by the Senate, and it reported that the White House had not yet publicly announced who will replace her.
Acting Director Named
Firstpost said Trump posted on Truth Social that the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Aaron Lukas, would serve as acting director of national intelligence. The same Firstpost report said Fox News Digital reported that Gabbard informed Trump of her decision during a meeting in the Oval Office earlier on Friday.
Firstpost also quoted Trump saying Gabbard had done "a great job" but that with her husband diagnosed with bone cancer, "she, rightfully, wants to be with him, bringing him back to good health as they currently fight a tough battle together." News18 said Trump had reportedly expressed frustration with Gabbard’s stance on intelligence assessments and her handling of officials who questioned the administration’s justification for military action against Tehran.
CIA, Kurds, and Iran
Multiple outlets tied the intelligence dispute over Iran to CIA-backed plans involving Kurdish forces, with یورونیوز saying the CIA is trying to arm Kurdish forces "with the aim of inciting a popular uprising in Iran." یورونیوز reported that CNN, citing an Iranian-Kurdish official, said Donald Trump spoke on Tuesday with Mustafa Hijri, head of the Iranian Kurdish Democratic Party (KDPI), and that the official said, "We believe we have a great opportunity now."
Al-Jazeera Net described a gap between intelligence and White House decision-making, saying the CIA Director John Ratcliffe described regime-change options as a "farce" while the report said the Trump administration showed "optimism bias." Al-Jazeera Net also said current American assessments indicate that Iran could deploy up to 70% of the mobile missile launch platforms it possessed before the war, and it added that the report said the administration claimed Iranian attacks on Gulf states and their response was a surprise, a claim that was rejected in additional intelligence leaks within days.