AMNA NAWAZ: Welcome to the "News Hour."

Tonight, a series of strikes across# the Middle East jolted energy ma.. and fueled concerns that the# war won't end any time soon.

GEOFF BENNETT: Brent crude# oil prices, a key benchmark,## are nearing a 52-week high after# Israel hit a large gas field in Iran.## And Iranian strikes caused extensive# damage to a major Qatari fuel hub.

Our Nick Schifrin starts our coverage.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Today in Southern Iran, Israel# expanded its effort to collapse the Iranian## state.

An Israeli strike targeted South Pars,# the world's largest natural gas field.

And Israel## continued its decapitation campaign, killing# Iranian intelligence minister Esmail Khatib,## sanctioned by the U.S.

for human# rights abuses and cyberattacks.

In response, Iran issued unprecedented evacuation# warnings for energy facilities across the Gulf.## And, tonight, there are multiple# explosions reported in Saudi Arabia,## and Qatari admitted to -- quote --# "extensive damage" to a major energy hub.

Tonight, Qatari expelled Iranian diplomats.

The## attacks stoked fears of a global# oil crunch and rising prices.

SEN.

RON WYDEN (D-OR): Every problem# we're seeing now was not only foreseeable,## but was actually predicted# by the intelligence agencies.

NICK SCHIFRIN: It also became the focus# of today's Senate Intelligence Committee## threat assessment hearing with the# leaders of the intelligence community.

SEN.

ANGUS KING (I-ME): There seems to be# a discrepancy between what the Intelligence## Committee has -- community has reported over# the years and what the president has said.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Like these comments on Monday.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the# United States: So they hit Qatar,## Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait.# Nobody expected that.

We were shocked.

NICK SCHIFRIN: In fact, four weeks before the war,# then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei posted on X in## English: "The Americans should know, if they start# a war, this time, it will be a regional war."

SEN.

ANGUS KING: The president says nobody# knew.

And my question is, did you tell him?

JOHN RATCLIFFE, CIA Director: The comments that# you talked about, I had not heard.

But what I can## tell you is that Iran had specific plans to hit# U.S.

interests in energy sites across the region.

TULSI GABBARD, U.S.

Director of# National Intelligence: This has long## been an assessment of the I.C.

that Iran would# like.. SEN.

ANGUS KING: And my question is,## was that communica.. TULSI GABBARD: And it's because of that# longstanding assessment that the I.C.

has## continued to report that the Department of War# took the preemptive planning measures that it did.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Director of National# Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard also made## this assessment of Iran's nuclear ambitions.

TULSI GABBARD: Iran was trying to recover# from the severe damage to its nuclear## infrastructure sustained during the 12-day# war and continued to refuse to comply with## its nuclear obligations with the IAEA,# refusing them access to key facilities.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But in her prepared testimony# confirmed by her staff to PBS "News Hour,"## Gabbard wrote instead -- quote -- "As# a result of Operation Midnight Hammer,## Iran's nuclear enrichment program was# obliterated.

There has been no effort## since then to try to rebuild# their enrichment capability."

That directly refutes President# Trump's State of the Union.

DONALD TRUMP: They were warned to make no future# attempts to rebuild their weapons program,## in particular, nuclear weapons, yet they continue.## They're starting it all over.

We wiped it# out and they want to start all over again.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Prewar presidential statements help## lead to yesterday's resignation by National# Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent,## who wrote -- quote -- "Iran posed# no imminent threat to our nation."

TULSI GABBARD: It is not the intelligence## community's responsibility to determine# what is and is not an imminent threat.

SEN.

JON OSSOFF (D-GA):# OK, here's the problem.

No,## it is precisely your responsibility to determine# what constitutes a threat to the United States.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Republicans emphasized# Iran's overall decades-long threats,## its nuclear program, and the Middle# East's largest missile arsenal.

SEN.

JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): Is there# anything to indicate that Iran## had ceased in its nuclear ambitions or in# its desire to continue to build ballistic## missiles capable of threatening American# troops and allies in the Middle East?

JOHN RATCLIFFE: Senator, no.

In fact,# the intelligence reflects the contrary.

SEN.

JOHN CORNYN: So you disagree with Mr.

Kent?

JOHN RATCLIFFE: I do.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Today, the war also# intensified in Beirut.

Multiple videos## recorded the moment an Israeli airstrike reduced# this residential building to rubble and smoke.

The Israeli army said the building hid millions# of dollars for Hezbollah and warned residents## before the strike.

The war has become# a nightly deadly drumbeat.

Overnight,## Iran fired a barrage of missiles at# Israel carrying cluster bombs.

One## strike hit this apartment outside# Tel Aviv, killing a couple inside.

For the PBS "News Hour," I'm Nick Schifrin.