President Donald Trump publicly challenged his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, on June 20, 2025, rejecting her assessment that Iran is not currently building a nuclear weapon. Speaking to reporters after arriving in Morristown, New Jersey, Trump declared bluntly, "She's wrong," when asked about Gabbard's testimony earlier this year. He added, "My intelligence community is wrong," underscoring his skepticism toward the official intelligence evaluation.
Gabbard, who testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee in March 2025, had stated that the U.S. intelligence community "continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003." She later insisted she and the president were "on the same page," but Trump's recent remarks suggest a widening rift.
In response to the president's comments, Gabbard took to the social media platform X to clarify her stance, accusing the media of "intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division." She emphasized, "America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree."
The White House has indicated that Trump will decide within two weeks whether to join Israel's military offensive against Iran's nuclear facilities, allowing time for potential negotiations. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on June 19 that the president planned to wait to let diplomatic efforts play out, highlighting the "substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future." Trump reiterated this timeline on June 20, saying, "Two weeks would be the maximum." He also affirmed that while diplomatic progress is hoped for, he would not ask Israel to halt its attacks, noting, "If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing, but we're ready, willing and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens."
The escalating tensions between Iran and Israel have been underscored by recent missile exchanges and military strikes. CNN's Anderson Cooper reported live from Tel Aviv as Israel's military identified missiles launched from Iran, urging civilians to "enter a protected space" amid ongoing attacks. Israel initiated a new wave of strikes in Iran on June 14, 2025, intensifying the conflict.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes in Gaza on June 19 killed more than 70 people, including multiple children, with harrowing scenes emerging from hospitals. Nic Robertson reported from Beer Sheva, Israel, where a hospital was struck by an Iranian missile; Iran claimed it targeted an intelligence and command center "near a hospital," and no deaths were reported. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "cannot be allowed to continue to exist," reflecting the severity of the confrontation.
At the United Nations Security Council, both Iranian and Israeli ambassadors vowed to continue their countries' fight, highlighting the global stakes involved. Concurrently, talks between European and Iranian officials in Geneva were initially "very tense" but later became "much more positive," offering a glimmer of potential diplomatic progress.
On the domestic front, Trump's relationship with Gabbard has grown strained. Earlier in June, Gabbard posted a poignant three-and-a-half-minute video reflecting on her visit to Hiroshima, Japan, marking 80 years since the nuclear bombing. She warned that the world stands "closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before," criticizing "political elites and warmongers" for escalating tensions. Trump reportedly berated her for the video, expressing disappointment and accusing her of using her government role to promote her political ambitions. He reportedly told her that if she intended to run for president, she should not remain in the administration.
Trump's hawkish stance contrasts with Gabbard's more cautious approach. She has privately expressed concerns about the risk of a wider war resulting from military action against Iran. Despite this, Trump remains firm in his assessment that Iran is "very close to having" a nuclear weapon. When asked about the difference between the current situation and the Iraq war, which he opposed, Trump said, "There were no weapons of mass destruction. I never thought there were. And that was somewhat pre-nuclear... It looks like I'm right about the material that they've gathered already. It's a tremendous amount of material. And I think within a matter of weeks, or certainly within a matter of months, [Iran was] going to be able to have a nuclear weapon. We can't let that happen."
Experts remain divided on the timeline for Iran's nuclear capabilities. A source with access to U.S. intelligence reports told Reuters that the March 2025 assessment has not changed, estimating it would take up to three years for Iran to build a deliverable nuclear warhead. Former UN nuclear inspector David Albright questioned the revised view expressed by Gabbard on June 20, estimating it would take at least six months for Iran to produce a crude nuclear device, though not missile-deliverable.
Trump has a history of dismissing intelligence agency findings, often accusing them of being part of a "deep state" opposed to his presidency. Gabbard, despite being a fierce Trump loyalist, has also aired such allegations. Their disagreements over Iran's nuclear threat add a new layer of tension within the administration.
Beyond the Iran conflict, other notable events have unfolded. Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was released on bail from a Louisiana ICE detention center after more than three months of arrest. In California, a U.S. citizen was arrested following a physical altercation with immigration agents. Former President Barack Obama warned that the U.S. is "dangerously close" to becoming "consistent with autocracies." Meanwhile, the Trump Organization announced its Trump Mobile wireless service and the upcoming T1 smartphone, claiming it will be "proudly designed and built in the United States," though experts remain skeptical.
As the world watches the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, the U.S. administration grapples with internal divisions and the potential for military involvement. With a two-week window before President Trump makes a final decision, the stakes remain high, and the possibility of diplomacy hangs in the balance.
