US intelligence suggests Iran was 'years away' from nuclear weapon - CNN

[Aristaeus]

US intelligence assessments have found Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon and would have been up to three years away from being able to deliver one, CNN is reporting.

The assessments, sourced to four people familiar with them, are in stark contrast to the narrative being pushed by Israel that Iran was fast approaching a point of no return in acquiring nuclear weapons.

CNN reported:

When Israel launched its series of strikes against Iran last week, it also issued a number of dire warnings about the country’s nuclear program, suggesting Iran was fast approaching a point of no return in its quest to obtain nuclear weapons and that the strikes were necessary to preempt that outcome.

But US intelligence assessments had reached a different conclusion – not only was Iran not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon, it was also up to three years away from being able to produce and deliver one to a target of its choosing, according to four people familiar with the assessment.

Another senior US official told CNN that Iran is “about as close as you can get before building (a nuclear weapon). If Iran wanted one, they have all the things they need.”

Meanwhile, after days of Israeli airstrikes, US intelligence officials believe that so far, Israel may have set back Iran’s nuclear program by only a matter of months.

Donald Trump has previously dismissed congressional testimony from the National Intelligence Director of the US, Tulsi Gabbard, who told lawmakers in March that US spy agencies did not believe Iran was building a nuclear weapon

 

[Airyaman]

Poor Tulsi, under the bus she goes.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Hmm…

Does Iran have nuclear weapons?​

It’s unclear how close Iran might be to actually building a nuclear bomb, if at all, but it has made significant progress in producing its key ingredient: highly enriched uranium. In recent years, it has sharply reduced the time needed to reach weapons-grade levels – now requiring just about a week to produce enough for one bomb.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/13/middleeast/iran-nuclear-program-explainer-intl-dg

 

[Slartibartfast]

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/11/world/middleeast/israel-knesset-vote-orthodox-draft-law.html

 

[phoenix2020]

Poor Tulsi, under the bus she goes.

Thoughts and prayers to Tulsi on being walked all over by Donald.

 

[Apocalypse]

 

[Napoleon]

They said North Korea was years away. And then they detonated one.

 

[phoenix2020]

So is Erik lying or is Tulsi lying?

 

[Napoleon]

So is Erik lying or is Tulsi lying?

No one is lying.

 

[pragmatic]

The issue is weapons grade nuclear material. Building the actual bomb is the easy part.


Nuclear plants require a fuel called uranium – and according to the UN nuclear watchdog, no other country has the kind of uranium that Iran currently does without also having a nuclear weapons program.

That has fueled suspicions that Iran isn’t being fully transparent about its intentions. Tehran has used its stockpile of weapons-grade uranium as a bargaining chip in talks with the United States, repeatedly saying it would get rid of it if US-led sanctions are lifted.

..

 

[ttwtt78640]

So is Erik lying or is Tulsi lying?

Both are expressing their opinions on the matter, largely based on what ‘experts’ have said.

 

[Allan]

They said North Korea was years away. And then they detonated one.

Link?

 

[Bok Tuklo]

They said North Korea was years away. And then they detonated one.

Another nation a Democratic president had under control until Republicans came in and ****ed everything up,

 

[Allan]

Poor Tulsi, under the bus she goes.

Hey anyone remember the good old days of "weapons of mass destruction", "yellow cake" and "mushroom clouds"?

Fun times.

Three trillion dollars and 4,431 American casualties.

Let's do that again but with a country that has one of the world's largest armies.

 

[Airyaman]

Thoughts and prayers to Tulsi on being walked all over by Donald.

She has to resign at this point or she has zero credibility. Not that it was very good before this, but she's also on record of being against a war with Iran.

 

[dmpi]

It don't matter if they're days away, months away or even years away. Forget just-in-time thinking. The problem with Iran having nukes must be dealt with NOW.

 

[Airyaman]

Yeah, Gabbard is history. Will she resign or be fired?