U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran was just “a few weeks away” from acquiring a nuclear weapon, warning of catastrophic consequences if the Islamic Republic were to succeed.
“I’ve been saying for 20 years, maybe longer, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. I’ve been saying it for a long time, and I think they were a few weeks away from having one,” Trump stated.
“Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon—too much devastation. And they’d use it,” he added. “Others won’t use it, but I believe they would. So that’s it. It’s very simple.”
Trump’s remarks come amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel, with growing fears of a wider regional conflict. His claims, however, appear to contradict assessments from the U.S. intelligence community.
In March, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified that U.S. agencies “continue to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and that Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized a nuclear weapons program since suspending it in 2003.”
Further, CNN reported this week—citing four sources familiar with the matter—that current intelligence estimates suggest Iran remains up to three years away from being capable of producing and delivering a nuclear weapon.
Despite the intelligence gap, Trump signaled that military action remains a possibility. Speaking with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins from the Oval Office, he confirmed that while no final decision has been made, he’s been meeting with top officials in the Situation Room to review military options.
“I have ideas as to what to do, but I haven’t made a final decision,” he said. “I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due, because things change—especially with war. It can go from one extreme to the other.”
Trump also described Israel’s initial strikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets as “devastating,” claiming they had significantly weakened Iran’s position.
“That first night was devastating,” he said. “It really knocked the one side off—devastating. A devastating evening, day, and it pretty much proceeded that way.”
When asked about the future of Iran’s regime and whether he believes it may collapse, Trump was noncommittal. “I have a plan for everything, but we’ll see what happens. Got a ways to go,” he said, adding that Iran “should have” made a nuclear deal when they had the chance.
Trump further claimed that Iranian officials “want to meet” and have expressed interest in visiting the White House—though Tehran has publicly denied such intentions.
“I haven’t closed the door on meeting with them,” he added.
