Gabbard Warns Iran Could Develop Nuclear Weapon Within Weeks
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has shifted her assessment of Iran’s nuclear capabilities, saying on social media that Iran could produce a nuclear weapon “within weeks to months,” a stark contrast to her March congressional testimony. In March, Gabbard told Congress that US intelligence concluded Iran was not actively building nuclear weapons, despite holding an unprecedented stockpile of enriched uranium for a non-nuclear state. She now claims her earlier statements were misrepresented by “dishonest media.” The reversal follows President Donald Trump’s public disagreement with Gabbard’s initial assessment. On Thursday, Trump asserted that intelligence showed Iran possessed a “tremendous amount of material” and could develop a nuclear weapon “within months.” He issued Tehran a two-week ultimatum to negotiate a deal on its nuclear programme, warning he would soon decide on US involvement in Israel’s ongoing strikes against Iran.
Gabbard’s updated stance aligns with Trump’s position, as she emphasised, “President Trump has been clear that [Iran developing a nuclear weapon] can’t happen, and I agree.” She shared a video of her March testimony, where she noted Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile was at historic levels but clarified that US intelligence found no evidence of an active nuclear weapons program since its suspension in 2003. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently raised concerns about Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, which can be used for reactor fuel or, at higher enrichment levels, nuclear weapons. Iran has consistently maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Tensions escalated after Israel launched airstrikes on June 13 targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, including Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed struck “the heart” of Iran’s nuclear program to prevent weapon development. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while open to a “negotiated solution,” stated on Saturday that talks with the US were untenable amid ongoing Israeli bombardment.
Iran’s health ministry reported 430 deaths from the strikes, while the Human Rights Activists News Agency cited an unofficial toll of 657 as of Friday. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel, killing 25, including one person who suffered a heart attack. The disagreement has fueled divisions within Trump’s “America First” movement over whether the U.S. should join Israel’s military efforts. Trump, who previously dismissed Gabbard’s March testimony, reiterated to reporters that Iran was “very close to having a weapon” and vowed to prevent it. The US and Iran had been negotiating a potential nuclear deal earlier this year, following a 2015 agreement with world powers. Those talks were disrupted by Israel’s recent strikes, heightening fears of a broader regional conflict.
