Donald Trump dismissed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s assessment of Iran’s nuclear program with a claim that the country was “very close” to obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“I don’t care what she said—I think they were very close to having them,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after abruptly leaving the G7 summit in Canada.
Trump’s comments came in response to testimony Gabbard gave before a House committee back in March. At the time, she acknowledged that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile was “unprecedented” for a non-nuclear state but said the intelligence community’s assessment was that Iran was not actively building a nuclear weapon.
Israel has now launched what it called a “preemptive” strike against Iran, targeting its nuclear facilities over concerns that Tehran was ramping up its weapons program. Iran has responded with a wave of missile strikes on Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Petah Tikva.
The ongoing hostilities have thrown U.S.-led nuclear negotiations with Tehran into jeopardy and raised fears that the U.S. could be dragged into a full-blown war against Iran alongside Israel.
Those fears intensified after Trump posted Monday on Truth Social that Iran “CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON” and urging all residents of Tehran to evacuate “immediately.”
Trump has also denied that he is working on a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran. Speaking from Air Force One, the president said he is aiming for “a real end” to the crisis that would involve Iran abandoning its nuclear ambitions “entirely.”
Asked whether the U.S. would consider launching military strikes to eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities, Trump said: “I hope it’s wiped out long before that.”
Iran maintains that it has not tried to obtain a nuclear weapon since 2003—a claim backed by Gabbard in her March statement.
Trump has doubled down on his insistence that he is not seeking a ceasefire, posting on Truth Social on Tuesday morning: “I have not reached out to Iran for ‘Peace Talks’ in any way, shape, or form. This is just more HIGHLY FABRICATED, FAKE NEWS! If they want to talk, they know how to reach me. They should have taken the deal that was on the table — Would have saved a lot of lives!!!”
Trump cut short his appearance at the G7 summit in Canada a day early, citing vague reasons relating to the Israel-Iran conflict. Trump wrote in Truth Social that his early exit had “nothing to do with” working on a ceasefire between the two countries but was for something “much bigger than that.”
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast.
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