WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews)- Senator Mark Warner, D-Va., vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, expressed concern that the United States lacks sufficient leverage to pressure Iran as it seeks to rebuild its nuclear capabilities following recent military strikes.

“Iran, as has been indicated in public documents, is trying to reconstitute,” Warner said in remarks that appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

He highlighted limitations on U.S. military positioning in the region, noting that a key aircraft carrier typically stationed in the Mediterranean — and potentially available for rapid response near Iran — was instead deployed off the coast of Venezuela amid an ongoing blockade tied to U.S. operations there.

“What I fear is that we don’t have the ability to bring the full power of pressure against Iran,” Warner said. “A few weeks back, when the Iranian people were bravely in the streets, and there might’ve been a moment, we couldn’t strike because the aircraft carrier that was usually in the Mediterranean was off the coast of Venezuela during the blockade there.”

The comments come amid reports of Iran’s efforts to repair and relocate elements of its nuclear program after U.S. and Israeli strikes in June 2025 damaged key facilities. Satellite imagery has shown reconstruction at missile sites and slower progress at nuclear locations, with some activity potentially aimed at hardening sites against future attacks.

The U.S. has maintained a significant naval presence off Venezuela as part of Operation Southern Spear, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, to enforce measures against alleged drug trafficking and oil shipments linked to the Maduro regime. The deployment followed Maduro’s capture in early 2026 and has involved blockades that have kept assets committed to the Caribbean region.

Warner, a Virginia Democrat with access to classified intelligence, has previously criticized aspects of U.S. actions toward both Iran and Venezuela, including concerns over consultation with Congress and the strategic diversion of resources.

Iran has engaged in indirect talks with the U.S., mediated in part by Oman, focusing on its nuclear program while rejecting broader discussions on missiles or regional proxies. U.S. officials have warned against any reconstitution efforts, with President Trump indicating potential severe consequences if Iran advances toward weapons capability.