Washington: 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, 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.
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.
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.
Gabbard, confirmed by a narrow Senate vote, faced bipartisan concerns over her lack of experience with intelligence operations. A military veteran, she left the Democratic Party in 2022 and endorsed Trump in the 2024 presidential race. On Tuesday, she testified in a closed session of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee about budget matters. Senate Intelligence Committee member Mark Warner said he had seen no new intelligence contradicting Gabbard’s earlier assessment that Iran was not actively pursuing a bomb.
As Israel continues airstrikes on Iranian targets, President Trump is reportedly considering joining the campaign. Sources told CBS News that the US may target Fordo, a fortified underground enrichment facility regarded as central to Iran’s weapons potential. Fordo lies nearly 300 feet underground, heavily protected by air defences. Experts say it is one of the likeliest locations for Iran to execute a nuclear weapons breakout.
Trump discussed the matter with key advisers in the White House Situation Room, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director Gabbard, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
After Israel’s initial strikes on Iran, it claimed Tehran is fast-tracking nuclear weapons development. While the US intelligence community earlier said Iran was not building weapons, the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is now large enough for several bombs.
Tehran maintains its program is peaceful. However, recent developments and Israel’s actions have raised pressure on Iran, according to Western intelligence officials.
Though the Trump administration maintains that the US is not involved in Israel’s offensive, CBS News has reported that Washington helped intercept missiles fired by Iran.
Trump’s own social media posts on Tuesday intensified speculation. “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” he declared on Truth Social. In another post, he said US intelligence knows the location of Iran’s supreme leader but added, “We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”
