House panel advances intelligence bill requiring new Iran threat assessment

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has approved legislation for fiscal year 2027, including an amendment requiring a new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on the threat posed by Iran. This amendment, introduced by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), mandates the Director of National Intelligence to produce an assessment within 180 days of enactment, with an unclassified summary. The NIE will evaluate Iran's threat to the U.S. and its allies, the stability of the Iranian regime, its nuclear and advanced conventional weapons programs, the activities of Iranian-backed terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, and the security of the Strait of Hormuz. Gottheimer stated, "It's vitally important for us to get the intelligence community's objective assessment of where things stand." The bill now moves to the House floor.