Key facts
- The CIA has ceased contributing to certain intelligence assessments.
- Disputes with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) over intelligence sharing and responsibilities are the cause.
- Assessments related to the Iran war are among those affected.
- The infighting disrupts national security analyses used by presidents.
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has halted its contributions to certain intelligence assessments, including those concerning the Iran war, produced by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). This action stems from ongoing disputes with ODNI regarding intelligence sharing protocols and the division of responsibilities. The CIA contends that ODNI's Director's Initiatives Group has acted recklessly by circumventing traditional intelligence-sharing and declassification protocols, while ODNI officials state the CIA has consistently blocked the group's access to intelligence. This breakdown in collaboration, which has flared for over a year, disrupts the production of crucial national security analyses vital for presidential decision-making, particularly amid ongoing international challenges such as the Iran conflict, Chinese military expansion, and Russia's war on Ukraine. The situation suggests that post-September 11, 2001, reforms have not eliminated dysfunction within the intelligence community. The CIA has been a primary contributor to reports produced by the National Intelligence Council (NIC), the U.S. intelligence analytical body, and assessments about Iran are among those the agency no longer regularly participates in. The CIA previously briefly limited accessibility of NIC reports by stopping their publication on its distribution service due to interagency friction. The friction began soon after Tulsi Gabbard assumed her post as Director of National Intelligence in February 2025, asserting tighter control over the Presidential Daily Brief, a role the CIA long led. Gabbard announced she will step down on June 30, and Bill Pulte has been appointed acting director of national intelligence.