US President Donald Trump has publicly rejected the assessment of his own intelligence community, which maintains that Iran is not currently building a nuclear weapon. The remark came during his overnight return to Washington from the G7 summit, which he left early to focus on rising tensions between Israel and Iran. Asked about Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s testimony earlier this year stating that Iran had not restarted its nuclear weapons program, Trump told reporters, “I don't care what she said.” He insisted that Iran was “very close” to acquiring a nuclear bomb.
Gabbard says she and Trump are ‘on the same page’
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and now the top US intelligence official, had told Congress in March that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had not reauthorised the suspended nuclear weapons program, though Iran’s uranium enrichment had reached unprecedented levels for a non-nuclear-armed state. Following Trump’s comments, Gabbard claimed that the media had misconstrued her testimony and that she and the president were “saying the same thing.” “We are on the same page,” she told CNN. Her office referred to those remarks when asked for clarification.
Military and intelligence officials acknowledge growing risk
US Central Command chief General Erik Kurilla testified that Iran could amass enough fissile material for 10 nuclear bombs within three weeks, although he did not estimate the time needed to build actual weapons. A senior intelligence official added that Iran’s uranium enrichment levels far exceed civilian requirements, supporting Trump’s concerns. Another administration official stated, “Iran is as close to having a nuclear weapon as it could be without having one.” Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity.
Echoes of Trump’s past clashes with US intelligence
Trump’s rejection of Gabbard’s assessment echoes past conflicts with US intelligence leaders, whom he has often viewed as part of a “deep state” working against him. In 2018, during his first term, Trump famously sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin over US agencies regarding election interference. Despite now surrounding himself with loyalists in his second term, Trump’s dismissal of Gabbard, a supporter and appointee, has highlighted continued tensions over national security assessments.
