President Donald Trump has downplayed remarks made by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard during Senate testimony earlier this year, insisting that Iran was “very close” to developing a nuclear weapon before Israel launched its recent preemptive strikes.
Speaking aboard Air Force One as he returned from the G7 Summit in Canada, Trump was asked about Gabbard’s March testimony, in which she stated that the intelligence community did not assess Iran as actively building a nuclear bomb.
“I don’t care what she said,” Trump responded bluntly. “I think they were very close to having one.”
Gabbard, in her role as DNI, told the Senate Intelligence Committee on March 26 that Iran’s Supreme Leader had not reauthorized the nuclear weapons program halted in 2003. She acknowledged Iran’s uranium stockpile had reached record levels, but emphasized there was no current intelligence indicating an active weapons program. However, she did warn of growing internal advocacy within Iran for acquiring nuclear weapons and noted a breakdown in IAEA monitoring access.
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