The annual meeting of US intelligence agencies with lawmakers about upcoming threats provides an opportunity for Senate members to publicly address security issues of the United States. This year's session saw the presence of Avril Haines, the Director of National Intelligence, William Burns, the CIA Director, Christopher Wray, the FBI Director, Brett Holmgren, the head of the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and General Timothy Haugh, the Director of the National Security Agency before the Senate panel. The growing power of Russia, China, and Iran, as well as conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, were central to the explicit questioning and answers. Questions were repeatedly interrupted by a protester's voice condemning the US support for Israel in the Gaza conflict.
This year's report emphasized: "Trade between China and Russia has more than tripled in the two years since Russia's war against Ukraine, much of it comprising military goods." Avril Haines, the Director of National Intelligence, representing 18 US intelligence agencies, urged lawmakers to approve further military aid for Ukraine so Kyiv can reclaim lost territories.
William Burns, who became the first professional diplomat to lead the CIA in 2021 and has played a significant role in the US security decisions, particularly concerning Russia and China, stated in the session that failure to approve more military aid to Kyiv by Congress would be a "big historical mistake." Burns also addressed the Gaza conflict, stating, “The reality is that there are children who are starving. They’re malnourished as a result of the fact that humanitarian assistance can’t get to them. It’s very difficult to distribute humanitarian assistance effectively unless you have a ceasefire.”
Christopher Wray, the FBI Director, also noted the increase in threats against Americans since the start of the Gaza conflict, stating that threats have reached a completely new level. He also expressed concern about placing vulnerable points along the US borders.
The report by US intelligence agencies also claimed that China could influence this year's US presidential election using technology and exacerbate social gaps in the United States.
"Non-state actors" were a key phrase in the US intelligence report, indirectly referring to resistance groups in Lebanon and Yemen. The report admitted that these non-state actors, alongside Iran, China, and Russia, have gained increasing power and posed a serious threat to the US superiority in the global order.
US intelligence agencies’ report is notable from several perspectives:
Admitting the growing power of Russia, China, and Iran, as three countries sanctioned by the US and Europe, was the focus of this year's report. The report suggests that US intelligence and security leaders recognize the potential of these countries to challenge American dominance more than ever before. Iran's 25-year agreement with China, its 20-year agreement with Russia, the multi-billion-dollar agreements between Russia and China, as well as the membership of the three countries in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, are just part of the actions taken by these countries to mitigate sanctions, and now the United States acknowledges that not only have its sanctions failed to stop Russia, China, and Iran, but these countries have become a trio challenging America's power.
The report unofficially admits failure in US efforts to threaten the national security and territorial integrity of these three countries; financial aid and armaments to Ukraine in its military conflict with Russia, provoking Taiwan against China, and supporting separatists and terrorists against Iran were part of US futile efforts in this regard.
Acknowledgment of the failure of efforts to win the region against our country with the "Iranophobia" project was another dimension of this report. By juxtaposing our country's name with non-state actors such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Ansarallah in Yemen, and other resistance groups in West Asia, this report confirmed that, contrary to negative and extensive propaganda, not only did the "Iranian isolation" conspiracy fail, but our country, along with its key role in the resistance movement, has taken initiative in West Asia through restoring relations with neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia, strengthening relations with China and Russia, reshaping the geopolitical landscape in West Asia. The inclination of Arab countries towards Russia and China, along with the revival of Arab relations with Syria and its return to the Arab League, has changed the situation to the extent that the head of the Central Intelligence Agency explicitly admits that his country is no longer " Undisputed supremacy" in global strategic competitions.
NOURNEWS