Iraq 2.0? Trump reportedly ignored intel saying Iran has no nukes, aligned with Netanyahu instead
22 years after George W. Bush allegedly cherry-picked intelligence to justify the Iraq War in 2003, the world may be witnessing a similar episode. This time, current U.S. President Donald Trump is accused of ignoring intelligence reports that Iran does not possess nuclear weapons.
According to a report by the Associated Press, Trump reportedly dismissed U.S. intelligence assessments stating that Iran is not building nuclear weapons, opting instead to adopt a more alarmist stance aligned with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During a flight back to Washington from the G7 summit, Trump rejected testimony from National Intelligence Director
Tulsi Gabbard
, who had previously told Congress that Iran had not restarted its nuclear weapons program.
'I don't care what she said,' Trump told reporters, insisting that Iran was 'very close' to developing a nuclear bomb.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and military veteran now serving as Trump's intelligence chief, testified in March that Iran's Supreme Leader had not reauthorized the country's long-suspended nuclear weapons program. She emphasized that although Iran's enriched uranium stockpile had reached unprecedented levels, the intelligence community continued to assess that Tehran was not actively pursuing a bomb.
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Despite this, Trump doubled down on his stance, convening national security officials in the Situation Room to discuss next steps amid growing tensions with Iran. His position closely mirrors Netanyahu's long-standing warnings that a nuclear-armed Iran is an imminent threat to regional stability.
White House officials attempted to downplay the discrepancy between Trump and Gabbard, arguing that uranium enrichment alone could still position Iran on the path to weaponization. Gabbard later said the media had misrepresented her testimony, telling CNN, 'President Trump was saying the same thing that I said.'
Meanwhile, senior military leaders remain cautious. Gen. Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, testified that Iran could produce enough fissile material for ten bombs in just three weeks—though assembling a complete nuclear weapon would take longer.
Some intelligence officials acknowledged Trump's concerns, pointing out that Iran's uranium enrichment levels exceed what is needed for civilian purposes. Still, critics view Trump's dismissal of his own intelligence chief as part of a broader pattern, echoing his earlier clashes with the intelligence community—including his controversial support of Vladimir Putin in 2018 over U.S. agencies' findings on Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Trump's latest break with intelligence leaders is especially striking, given his second-term emphasis on loyalty over experience. Gabbard, narrowly confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate, has faced criticism for her limited background in intelligence or managing large agencies.
Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he has seen no new evidence to suggest Iran is building a bomb. 'Director Gabbard stated publicly in March that the Iranians were not actively pursuing a bomb,' Warner said. 'I've seen nothing in recent intelligence that contradicts that.'
While the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned that Iran now possesses enough enriched uranium to construct several nuclear weapons if it chooses, Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.
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