Top U.S. intelligence officials told lawmakers on Wednesday that Iran is not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon, contradicting assertions made by former President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner said.
“U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed Iran is not building a nuclear weapon,” Warner said, challenging Trump’s repeated claim that Tehran was “weeks away” from acquiring one.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified in March that Iran’s Supreme Leader had not authorized a nuclear weapons program since suspending it in 2003, although Tehran does maintain a significant enriched uranium stockpile. Gabbard emphasized, “The country was not building a nuclear weapon,” despite escalating tensions.
But Trump publicly rejected the assessment during an overnight flight from the G7 summit, declaring, “I don’t care what she said … Iran is very close to having a nuclear bomb.”
Intelligence officials say while Iran is enriching uranium—now at its highest levels yet—there is no evidence of an active weaponization program. A senior official, speaking anonymously, said Iran’s ever-growing uranium stockpile “far exceeds what would be needed for domestic purposes.”
The disagreement echoes familiar rhetoric from Trump’s first term, when he frequently clashed with intelligence leaders. Critics warn that dismissing those findings could escalate tensions in the Middle East.
Sen. Warner said, “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.”
With reports of Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, including Natanz and Fordow, the Pentagon is reviewing how to support Israel’s operations without overstepping U.S. authority. Debate is brewing on whether military action requires congressional approval.
