Trump Dismisses US Intelligence on Iran’s Nuclear Program Amid War Preparations

The United States is taking another step toward potential conflict in the Middle East, with President Donald Trump asserting that Iran is nearing the acquisition of a nuclear weapon. Specifically, Trump rejected today (June 17, 2025) the assessment from Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Avril Haines that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons. This marks the first time since the start of his second term that Trump has publicly challenged the head of U.S. intelligence services. By dismissing U.S. intelligence findings, Trump aligns fully with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims about Iran’s alleged nuclear ambitions. Israel used these statements to justify airstrikes against Iranian military and nuclear facilities after Netanyahu argued that Tehran is on the brink of acquiring a nuclear weapon. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during his return to Washington from the G7 summit in Canada, Trump was asked how close he believes Iran is to obtaining a nuclear weapon. ‘Very close,’ he replied. When reminded that Haines testified before Congress in March that the National Intelligence community continues to believe Tehran is not pursuing a nuclear warhead, Trump insisted: ‘I don’t care what she said. I think they’re very close to having it.’ These remarks evoke memories of Trump’s clashes with U.S. intelligence agencies during his previous presidency, including disputes over Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections. Haines also testified before Congress that U.S. intelligence does not believe Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has ordered the resumption of the nuclear weapons program, which Washington and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concluded ended in 2003. Iran has repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons, insisting its uranium enrichment program serves exclusively non-military purposes.