Trump Dismisses US Intel on Iran Nuclear Program Amid Israeli Strikes

President Donald Trump has publicly dismissed the US intelligence community's assessment, delivered by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, that Iran is not currently building a nuclear weapon and that its nuclear weapons program has been suspended since 2003. Trump insisted that Iran was "very close" to obtaining a nuclear bomb, aligning his stance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has advocated for pre-emptive strikes against Iran. Gabbard, who was appointed by Trump, maintained that her assessment and the president's statements were consistent, blaming media misinterpretation for the apparent contradiction. Despite US intelligence reports suggesting Iran would need several years to develop a functional nuclear weapon, the Trump administration has increased military presence in the region, signaling readiness for potential direct intervention. This divergence between intelligence reports and presidential rhetoric has heightened tensions amid recent Israeli air strikes on Iranian targets and subsequent retaliatory attacks. The discord reflects internal disagreements within the US administration and underscores the fragile state of US-Iran and US-Israel relations amid escalating regional conflict.