CIA Halts Some Iran War Assessments as Feud With ODNI Disrupts 18-Agency Spy System
Updated
Updated · Reuters · Jun 2
CIA Halts Some Iran War Assessments as Feud With ODNI Disrupts 18-Agency Spy System
3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Jun 2
Iran-related intelligence assessments are among the ODNI products the CIA no longer regularly helps produce, according to people familiar with the dispute, widening a breakdown in collaboration between the two agencies.
The pullback stems from a yearlong fight over Tulsi Gabbard’s April 2025 Director’s Initiatives Group: CIA officials say it bypassed intelligence-sharing and declassification rules, while ODNI says the CIA blocked access to needed intelligence.
The feud has already disrupted core processes — the CIA briefly stopped posting National Intelligence Council reports on its internal distribution system, and the agencies now operate largely as separate analytical shops.
A Senate complaint from a CIA officer detailed to the task force that the agency blocked access to COVID-19 intelligence has triggered an inspector general investigation, though Reuters could not determine its scope.
The clash lands as the U.S. fights in Iran and Gabbard prepares to leave on June 30, underscoring how post-9/11 reforms meant to coordinate 18 intelligence agencies still have not eliminated dysfunction.
As U.S. intelligence agencies feud, how will the fragile Iran ceasefire hold and the world’s most critical oil chokepoint be secured?
The Iran war has fractured the global oil market. What is the long-term plan for economies facing a new era of energy instability?
U.S. Intelligence in Crisis: CIA-ODNI Rift, Politicization, and the Erosion of National Security
Overview
The report highlights a growing crisis within the U.S. intelligence community, marked by escalating friction between the CIA and the ODNI. This tension led the CIA to temporarily halt the distribution of key intelligence reports, restricting access and exposing deep disagreements. Amid this turmoil, President Trump appointed Bill Pulte—who lacks intelligence experience—as acting Director of National Intelligence, sparking widespread concern. These developments underscore systemic dysfunction and raise questions about the politicization of intelligence, the effectiveness of leadership transitions, and the ability of agencies to provide unified, reliable analysis for national security decisions.