President Donald Trump has stated his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was incorrect in her assertion that Iran is not presently developing a nuclear weapon.
When questioned about the declarations from his intelligence agencies, specifically those from Gabbard, Trump articulated his position clearly to reporters on Friday:
During her congressional testimony in March, Gabbard reported that the intelligence community [IC] “maintains its assessment that Iran is not constructing a nuclear weapon, and Supreme Leader [Ali] Khamenei has not approved the nuclear weapons program he put on hold in 2003. The IC remains vigilant, closely observing if Tehran chooses to reactivate its nuclear weapons program.”
This testimony has re-emerged as Trump deliberates potential U.S. engagement in, following an exchange of lethal missiles between the Middle Eastern nations after Israel initiated an operation against on June 13.
Trump’s most recent remarks mirror statements he made to reporters aboard Air Force One on June 17, when he declared he was unconcerned by Gabbard’s earlier testimony.
“I am indifferent to what she stated; I believe they were very close to possessing one,” he said, reiterating his conviction that Iran was approaching nuclear weapon capability.
A core element of Trump’s position concerning Israel’s initial offensive against Iran is his conviction that Iran has been. He has explicitly stated, “Iran must not possess a nuclear weapon.”
Trump’s viewpoint, reinforced by a (which indicated Iran had amassed approximately 120 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, perilously near to the 90% required for weapons-grade), contradicts earlier U.S. intelligence assessments, including those provided by Gabbard, a former Democrat.
Reacting to Trump’s recent claim that her prior testimony was “incorrect,” Gabbard on Friday, asserting that “dishonest media” had misrepresented her statements. Gabbard insists that her views align with Trump’s.
“The misleading media is deliberately misinterpreting my testimony and disseminating false information to create discord,” Gabbard stated. “America possesses intelligence indicating Iran is capable of producing a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, should they choose to complete its assembly. President Trump has clearly stated that this must not occur, and I concur.”
A more extensive video of her testimony was appended to the post, wherein she also claimed that “Iran’s enriched uranium reserves are at their peak levels and are unparalleled for a state without nuclear weapons.”
Trump purportedly retains “full confidence” in his intelligence team, according to White House communications director Steven Cheung, but the overt differences of opinion between Trump and his Administration members suggest divisions concerning the Israel-Iran conflict.
The President is confronting inquiries from both internal and external Republican factions, as he considers his choices amidst a regarding whether the, despite his campaign pledge to avoid foreign wars.
Republican legislators, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, have both publicly expressed opposition to any potential U.S. military involvement.
Concurrently, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson—a long-standing supporter of Trump, who even with him in 2024—has also voiced his disapproval of any U.S. participation in the Israel-Iran conflict.
Carlson’s initial remarks elicited a fierce retort from Trump, and their dispute quickly became personal as the animosity grew. Although the situation seems to have since calmed—Trump stated Carlson telephoned and apologized for his “forceful” comments—it is evident that the topic of the Israel-Iran conflict and the appropriate U.S. path forward remains a contentious issue.
