US President Donald Trump has dismissed a recent intelligence assessment on Iran’s nuclear programme, asserting that Tehran is “very close” to developing a nuclear weapon — a claim at odds with the testimony of his own Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and military veteran, had earlier told Congress that the intelligence community continued to assess that Iran was not actively building a nuclear weapon and that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had not reauthorised the programme suspended in 2003.
“I don’t care what she said,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while returning to Washington after cutting short his visit to the G7 Summit to focus on the unfolding Israel–Iran conflict.
Trump’s remarks reflect his alignment with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long portrayed a nuclear-armed Iran as an imminent threat. The contradiction harks back to similar tensions during Trump’s first term, when he regularly clashed with US intelligence agencies.
Gabbard’s testimony
In her March appearance before Congress, Gabbard said, “The intelligence community continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorised the nuclear weapons programme he suspended in 2003.”
She also warned that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile had reached “its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons.”
Despite these statements, Gabbard later defended Trump’s comments, blaming the media for misrepresenting her views. “President Trump was saying the same thing that I said. We are on the same page,” she said.
Asked for clarification, her office referred to that statement.
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White House response and military concern
Trump conferred with Gabbard and senior national security officials in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday to discuss next steps.
Administration officials sought to reconcile the difference in tone between Trump and Gabbard, noting that uranium enrichment — though not proof of bomb-making — does bring Iran closer to weapons capability.
A senior intelligence official, speaking anonymously, said Trump was justified in his concern, as Iran’s uranium enrichment “far exceeds what would be needed for domestic purposes.”
Another administration official added, “Iran was as close to having a nuclear weapon as it could be without having one.”
General Erik Kurilla, who commands US forces in the Middle East, had recently informed Congress that Iran could produce enough fissile material for ten nuclear weapons within three weeks. However, he did not specify how long it would take for Iran to construct deliverable bombs.
Ongoing scepticism in Congress
Despite Trump’s assertions, some lawmakers remain unconvinced. Senator Mark Warner, a senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he had not seen any new intelligence contradicting Gabbard’s earlier testimony.
“Director Gabbard stated publicly in March that the Iranians were not actively pursuing a bomb. I’ve seen nothing in recent intelligence that contradicts what Director Gabbard said,” Warner stated.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also raised concerns about Iran’s uranium stockpile, cautioning that the country possesses sufficient enriched uranium to develop several nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. Iran, however, maintains that its nuclear programme is intended solely for peaceful purposes.
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