WASHINGTON — The CIA now leans toward the theory that the coronavirus pandemic may have resulted from an accidental lab leak in China rather than a natural transmission from a wet market, according to a report Saturday by The New York Times.

The agency’s revised assessment does not stem from new intelligence but rather a fresh interpretation of existing evidence, officials familiar with the matter told the newspaper.

The analysis reportedly includes closer scrutiny of conditions at high-security laboratories in Wuhan, China, in the period leading up to the outbreak.

A CIA spokesperson cautioned that other theories remain viable, emphasizing that the agency will continue to assess any credible new intelligence.

The CIA has previously maintained uncertainty about whether the pandemic began through human exposure to an infected animal or via an incident at a research lab in China.

The shift comes shortly after John Ratcliffe, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the new CIA director.

Ratcliffe approved the declassification of the agency’s updated assessment and has long held the view that the virus likely originated from a leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

In an interview following his confirmation on Friday, Ratcliffe indicated that one of his first priorities was to ensure the release of a public assessment regarding the pandemic’s origins. — Agencies