President Trump dismissed the Director of National Intelligence’s assessment regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities during his remarks upon returning from a summit with the G7 in Alberta, Canada. He is currently considering the U.S. response to the heightened air strikes between Israel and Iran.
Tulsi Gabbard previously testified in Parliament that Iran possesses an “unprecedented” amount of weapons-grade uranium; however, it seems the country hasn’t actually constructed nuclear weapons.
“I don’t mind what she said. I think they were very close to having it,” Trump mentioned to reporters aboard Air Force 1 on Tuesday morning, directly addressing Gabbard’s statements.
The intelligence community had stated in March that “Iran believes it has not developed nuclear weapons, and Supreme Leader Khomeini has not endorsed its nuclear weapons program, which was halted in 2003.”
Gabbard noted, “Over the past year, we’ve witnessed an unprecedented discussion of nuclear weapons in Iran’s public sphere, along with an increase in support for nuclear arms—maybe from within the decision-making circles.” She added that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile has reached levels unprecedented for countries without nuclear weapons.
CNN relayed on Tuesday that a U.S. intelligence report suggests Iran is not actively seeking nuclear arms, estimating that it’s been three years since they could have effectively launched such a program. Israel contends that Iran is on the brink of achieving nuclear capabilities, which justifies its airstrikes.
Trump’s statements arise amidst considerations of whether the White House should take a stronger stance in the conflict. While the U.S. can assist Israel in various ways, there’s discussion about the necessity of the American “bunker buster” bomb to significantly damage key Iranian uranium-enrichment facilities that are currently targets for Israel.
On Tuesday, Gabbard affirmed that her earlier testimony aligns with Trump’s views. “What President Trump is saying is consistent with what I expressed in my annual threat assessment to Congress in March,” she remarked.
