WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has brushed aside US intelligence assessments and doubled down on his claim that Iran is dangerously close to acquiring nuclear weapons, despite testimony to the contrary from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Tulsi Gabbard left no doubt when she testified to Congress about Iran’s nuclear program earlier this year.
The intelligence director told US lawmakers that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had not reauthorized the nuclear programme even though it had enriched uranium to higher levels.
“I don’t care what she said,” Trump told reporters, asserting that Iran was “very close” to a bomb, despite Gabbard’s March testimony.
Trump’s remarks come as the Middle East reels from escalating violence. Israel has launched strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, prompting Tehran to retaliate with missile attacks on major Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Petah Tikva.
The spiralling conflict has jeopardized ongoing US-led nuclear talks with Iran, fuelling fears of a broader war involving American forces.
Despite growing global pressure to broker peace, Trump denied efforts to negotiate a ceasefire, claiming on Social media that reports of peace outreach were “HIGHLY FABRICATED, FAKE NEWS.”
Still, he maintained that his ultimate goal is a “real end” to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, adding ominously: “I hope it’s wiped out long before that.”
Iran insists it hasn’t pursued a nuclear weapon since 2003—a position echoed by Gabbard in her intelligence briefing.
Yet Trump remains unmoved, reiterating that Tehran should have accepted previous US offers, which he claims “would have saved a lot of lives.”
His abrupt exit from the G7 summit in Canada—officially unrelated to ceasefire negotiations—only added to the mystery, as Trump teased a purpose “much bigger than that.”
