Tulsi Gabbard says Iran could produce nuclear weapons "within weeks", months after she testified before Congress that the country was not building them. The US Director of National Intelligence said her March testimony - in which she said Iran had a stock of materials but was not building these weapons - had been taken out of context by "dishonest media". Her change of position came after Donald Trump said she was "wrong" and that intelligence showed Iran had a "tremendous amount of material" and could have a nuclear weapon "within months". Iran has always said that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and that it has never sought to develop a nuclear weapon. On Thursday Trump said he was giving Tehran the "maximum" of two weeks to reach a deal on its nuclear activities with Washington. He said he would soon decide whether the US should join Israel's strikes on Iran. Disagreement has been building within Trump's "America First" movement over whether the US should enter the conflict. On Saturday morning, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country was "absolutely ready for a negotiated solution" on their nuclear programme but that Iran "cannot go through negotiations with the US when our people are under bombardment". In her post on social media, Gabbard said US intelligence showed Iran is "at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months". "President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree," she added. Gabbard shared a video of her full testimony before Congress in March, where she said US intelligence agencies had concluded Iran was not building nuclear weapons. Experts also determined Iran had not resumed its suspended 2003 nuclear weapons programme, she added in the clip, even as the nation's stockpile of enriched uranium - a component of such weapons - was at an all-time high. In her testimony, she said Iran's stock was "unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons". Earlier this month,the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - the global nuclear watchdog - expressed concernabout Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium, which can be used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear weapons. Gabbard's March testimony has been previously criticised by Trump, who earlier told reporters he did not "care what she said". The US president said he believes Iran were "very close to having a weapon" and his country would not allow that to happen. In 2015, Iran agreed a long-term deal on its nuclear programme with a group of world powers after years of tension over the country's alleged efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran had been engaging in talks with the US this year over its nuclear programme and was scheduled to hold a further round when Israel launched strikes on Iran on 13 June, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said targeted "the heart" of Iran's nuclear programme. "If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time," Netanyahu claimed. Israeli air strikes have destroyed Iranian military facilities and weapons, and killed senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran's health ministry said on Saturday that at least 430 people had been killed, while a human rights group, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, put the unofficial death toll at 657 on Friday. Iran has retaliated with missile and drone strikes against Israel, killing 25 people including one who suffered a heart attack.
Tulsi Gabbard now says Iran could produce nuclear weapon 'within weeks'
TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:
"Tulsi Gabbard Revises Stance on Iran's Nuclear Capabilities Amid Rising Tensions"
Bbc News
6.8
TruthLens AI Summary
Tulsi Gabbard, the former Congresswoman, has recently changed her stance regarding Iran's nuclear capabilities, stating that the country could produce a nuclear weapon "within weeks." This statement marks a significant shift from her earlier testimony before Congress in March, during which she asserted that while Iran had a stock of nuclear materials, it was not actively pursuing the development of nuclear weapons. The Director of National Intelligence clarified that Gabbard's remarks from March were misrepresented by the media. Her revised position appears to have been influenced by comments from former President Donald Trump, who indicated that Iran possesses a substantial amount of nuclear material and could be close to creating a weapon. Despite Iran's consistent claims that its nuclear program is peaceful and not aimed at weaponization, the increasing tension around its nuclear activities has sparked concern among international observers and U.S. officials alike.
In light of these developments, Trump's administration has placed pressure on Iran to reach a nuclear deal within a short time frame, asserting that any further delay could allow Iran to advance its capabilities. Gabbard emphasized her agreement with Trump’s assertion that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, sharing a video of her earlier congressional testimony to highlight the discrepancies in her previous statements. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also raised alarms regarding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, which is at its highest level ever for a non-nuclear state. Meanwhile, ongoing military actions in the region, including Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian facilities, have exacerbated the situation. Iran's Foreign Minister expressed readiness for negotiations but insisted that talks cannot occur while the Iranian populace faces military aggression. The situation remains fluid, with both diplomatic and military options being considered amidst a backdrop of rising casualties and escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.
TruthLens AI Analysis
You need to be a member to generate the AI analysis for this article.
Log In to Generate AnalysisNot a member yet? Register for free.